On a recent episode of Disney-owned ABC’s “The View,” actress Pam Grier recounted a disturbing memory from her youth in Columbus, Ohio, claiming her mother shielded her from seeing a lynching victim hanging from a tree.
Host Sunny Hostin had asked Grier about the racism she faced growing up in the area.
The audience audibly gasped at her story.
However, online users on X scrutinized the claim as clips of the segment spread on social media.
The claim received a Community Note “fact check” questioning the historical accuracy of her account.
The “Jackie Brown” star was accused of fabricating the claim after historical records revealed that it wasn’t possible that she saw a lynching in her lifetime.
Grier, identifying as the daughter of a military member, described a life shaped by segregation and hardship during her formative years.
She detailed systemic barriers that forced her family to live off-base in an apartment, with limited access to transportation.
Her narrative set a somber tone for the more shocking claim that followed.
“The military wouldn’t allow black families on the base, so you had to live in an apartment,” Grier explained, according to Breitbart.
“My mom would go, ‘Don’t look! Don’t look! Don’t look!’ and she’d pull us away, because there was someone hanging from a tree,” she continued.
The raw emotion in her voice clearly impacted the audience, amplifying the weight of her words.
Grier also mentioned a memorial for such events and the lasting pain, noting:
“It triggers me today to see that a voice can be silenced.”
Her account paints a vivid picture of trauma, whether rooted in precise history or personal perception.
The story took a turn when X users attached a Community Note to a clip of Grier’s Monday interview on “The View.”
The note stated, “The last lynching in Ohio took place in 1911, while Pam Grier was born in 1949,” citing America’s Black Holocaust Museum as its source.
This discrepancy has ignited a broader conversation about historical accuracy.
Further research from the same museum indicates that no lynching has ever been documented in Columbus, Ohio.
This fact challenges the specifics of Grier’s recollection, raising questions about memory versus recorded history.
WATCH:
Pam Grier recalls her mom trying to protect her from seeing lynched bodies hanging to trees in Columbus, Ohio. She noted that white families would also be lynched for supporting black families:
"My mom would go, 'don't look, don't look, don't look,' and she would pull us away… pic.twitter.com/UG6AaZfy1q
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) January 19, 2026
The public reaction highlights a growing insistence on factual precision, especially for stories shared on influential platforms like “The View.”
Critics argue that while personal experiences deserve empathy, they must align with verifiable records to avoid distorting the past.
Grier’s additional anecdotes, like walking “from tree shade to shade” with her family, evoke a poignant struggle that resonates deeply.
Yet, the disputed lynching claim overshadows these personal hardships, drawing focus to the need for clarity.
The broader context of racial history in America, as Grier touched on with fears of retaliation against supportive families, remains a vital discussion.
However, ensuring accuracy in public narratives is equally important to honor true injustices without unintended exaggeration.
Some might speculate that Grier conflated a familial story with a broader historical event.
Regardless, the X Community Note serves as a reminder of the digital age’s rapid fact-checking culture, holding even emotional testimonies to scrutiny.
This incident also prompts reflection on media outlets amplifying personal accounts without immediate verification.
Platforms like ABC bear a responsibility to contextualize such claims against documented history.
Ultimately, Pam Grier’s moment on “The View” underscores the the importatnce of striking a balance between honoring individual memories and upholding historical truth.
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