Cheryl Hines defended her husband, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., while sparring with "The View" hosts during an Oct. 14 appearance on the talk show.

During the show, Hines discussed her husband's journey from 2024 presidential candidate to a member of President Donald Trump's administration. While calling her husband's decision to back Trump "complicated," she also said Kennedy and the president realized they "have a lot of common goals."

"For Bobby to, in the course of a year and a half, two years, go from a Democrat to now working with President Trump − that's a leap," Hines said. "But also it's a leap of faith."

The "Curb Your Enthusiasm" actress, 60, also backed her husband's at times controversial health policies in response to questions from "The View" hosts on topics including vaccine efficacy and unsubstantiated links between Tylenol and autism.

Hines is on a press tour to promote her new memoir, "Unscripted," which is set to be released in November.

'The View' host Sunny Hostin says RFK Jr. is 'least qualified' HHS secretary

Several hosts, including Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin, questioned Hines about Kennedy's background and qualifications for his role as HHS secretary.

"He's not a doctor and he's not a professional," Goldberg said. "And often times when he's talking, often times when he's speaking, he is speaking not with the best information that we can get."

Hines praised Kennedy's background as an environmental lawyer, saying, "He sued DuPont, he sued Exxon and he sued these companies for health reasons because they were causing health problems."

Hostin, who is also a lawyer, responded, "But the problem, respectfully, is that your husband is the least qualified Department of Health and Human Services head that we've had in history."

"Why is he less qualified than an economist?" Hines replied, appearing to reference former HHS head Sylvia Burwell, who was appointed during former President Barack Obama's administration. "He spent his career studying toxins, studying people's health, fighting for one guy who was using Roundup for his job."

"He has also spread a lot of misinformation, a lot of chaos, a lot of confusion. And I think it's just a very dangerous thing," Hostin retorted.

Cheryl Hines clarifies if RFK Jr. had a brain worm

On "The View," Hines also cleared up longstanding confusion around whether her husband contracted a parasite in his brain.

In May 2024, The New York Times reported that in 2010, doctors concluded that a dark spot in Kennedy's brain was a brain tumor, but another doctor later theorized that it was instead a parasite.

At the time, Kennedy's campaign team said in a statement to USA TODAY that the issue has been resolved.

"Mr. Kennedy traveled extensively in Africa, South America, and Asia in his work as an environmental advocate, and in one of those locations contracted a parasite," the statement said. "The issue was resolved more than 10 years ago, and he is in robust physical and mental health."

Kennedy later joked about his so-called brain worm, writing on X, “I offer to eat 5 more brain worms and still beat President Trump and President Biden in a debate.”

On "The View," host Joy Behar asked Hines, "Does he or does he not have a brain worm?"

"It ate just a little bit of his brain and died. So, don't worry," Hines said, which prompted further confusion among the hosts.

She added, "That was just one tiny headline in a mountain of crazy."

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cheryl Hines spars with 'The View' hosts over criticism of husband RFK Jr.

Reporting by Melina Khan, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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