Ashleigh Banfield is a real CNN anchor—she doesn't just play one on TV. Banfield made a cameo as herself on the new season of House of Cards. Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) gives Banfield an interview at home while her husband, Vice President Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), is stuck at the Capitol during an anthrax scare.
It's a pretty tough interview, in which Banfield asks Mrs. Underwood about her lack of children and even if she's ever had an abortion (that seems really rude for live, national television, but OK). Underwood ends up revealing [SPOILER] that yes, she has had an abortion, after she was raped by her then-boyfriend, who's now a general. In reality, Claire has had not one but three abortions, and they had nothing to do with the (very real) rape. But, details.
Banfield says that since her appearance on the award-winning drama, she's had to defend herself against fans who don't seem to get that she wasn't actually being mean, and Claire Underwood is not a real person. "But these viewers are emailing me like, ‘How do you sleep at night? That is such an inappropriate question to ask a woman of her caliber!’ I’m like, ‘You know she’s not real, right?’"
She also says she wouldn't ask a First Lady about her experience with abortion unless it was part of her platform—then it's fair game. "I was so astounded that people thought it was real,” she said. “At first, I was a bit annoyed and then I took it as a badge of F-ing honor. I’m that good, baby!”
You can watch season two of House of Cards on Netflix.
[via Vulture]
