Sara Haines, co-host of ABC's "The View," has drawn criticism for her comments regarding Patrick Clancy's remarriage following the deaths of his three children. Clancy's ex-wife, Lindsay Clancy, strangled their children—Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, eight months—in January 2023.
Patrick Clancy met fertility doctor Rachel Danis approximately one year later at a New York City run club. The couple married in Manhattan in April and recently announced they are expecting their first child together in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes."
During a segment on "The View," Haines expressed discomfort with Clancy's remarriage, questioning why he would leave his wife after the children's deaths. "What bothers me is that he talks about forgiving her, which I love, but he focuses on that and never jumps to what so many people struggled with, how did the marital love end so quickly?" Haines stated. She added that if she were in Lindsay Clancy's situation, she would hope her husband would stand by her, saying, "in sickness and in health... I would hope that my husband wouldn't just move right along." Haines suggested that Clancy's remarriage might have been a way to cope with the tragedy, stating, "Some people need love and they need to fill themselves again." She clarified that she did not intend to shame Patrick but expressed confusion about "why we skipped over all the marital things."
Co-host Alyssa Farah-Griffin disagreed with Haines' perspective, noting that Lindsay Clancy had not sought forgiveness from Patrick when they spoke in prison. Farah-Griffin argued that after committing such an act, the immediate priority would be to express remorse for the deaths of the children.
The exchange on "The View" prompted a strong reaction on social media, with many viewers accusing Haines of lacking empathy and failing to understand the complexities of the situation. Commenters on X, formerly Twitter, pointed out that the act of murdering their children would fundamentally break the marital bond.
Lindsay Clancy's trial for the murders ended in a mistrial due to an 11-1 jury deadlock, with one juror refusing to acquit her by reason of insanity. In their "60 Minutes" interview, Danis shared that she initially did not know about Clancy's tragic past when they met. She recalled realizing the extent of his loss when she saw a photo of his children on his phone and he informed her they had died.
Danis expressed her hope to help Patrick rebuild his life and find peace, stating, "I can't bring his kids back, but I hope to help Patrick rebuild his family and find peace after the tragedy of his children's deaths." Patrick Clancy indicated his intention to tell his future child about their older siblings, Cora, Dawson, and Callan.