ABC News slams embarrassing headlines from David Muir’s clothespin mistake to Sunny Hostin’s husband drama
ABC News kicks off 2025 with a series of embarrassing headlines involving some of the biggest stars.
“World News Tonight” anchor David Muir was grilled by critics in a viral moment on air Wednesday while reporting from Pacific Palisades after devastating forest fires who ravaged southern California.
Muir, wearing a yellow fire jacket with the ABC News logo on the front, tried to show viewers the ruins of the burned buildings behind him. But what was behind his back attracted more attention.
As he turned away from the camera, clothespins could be seen cinching Muir’s jacket close to his lower back, giving him a slimmer appearance for viewers.
ABC NEWS’ MUIR MOCKED FOR MAKING HIS FIREFIGHTER’S COAT MORE OF A FIRE REPORT PROCEDURE
ABC News’ David Muir has been slammed on social media for being caught wearing hairpins to appear slimmer while covering the devastation of the Southern California wildfires. (Screenshots/ABC News)
Jack Osbourne, TV personality and son of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, spotted the impromptu fashion accessory and called the “World News” anchor on Xu.
“Nice jacket bro. Glad you’re looking nice and slim with those clothespins while our city burns to the ground,” Osbourne responded.
Other critics called Muir “pathetic” and “narcissistic” as he faced accusations that he prioritized his appearance while reporting on the widespread devastation in Los Angeles.
Muir wasn’t the only ABC star portrayed in an unflattering light. “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin has been at the center of social media chatter since it was announced that her husband is facing medical fraud charges in a sweeping federal lawsuit filed last month.
Orthopedic surgeon dr. Emmanuel “Manny” Hostin and his practice, Hostin Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, were named among more than 180 defendants in a major RICO case filed in New York on Dec. 17.
According to The Daily MailHostin and the other defendants allegedly received “kickbacks” to perform operations and falsely bill an insurance company that provides services to Uber, Lyft and other taxi companies. The suit alleges that Hostin received an “investment” interest in Empire State Ambulatory Surgery Center while receiving a “steady stream” of patient referrals in return.
‘THE VIEW’ STAR SUNNY HOSTIN’S SURGEON HUSBAND ACCUSED OF INSURANCE FRAUD IN FEDERAL LAWSUIT
Two of Hostin’s patients named in the suit were allegedly treated in January 2023 after a “low-impact” collision that was said to have caused only minimal damage, “no more than soft tissue injuries,” but both underwent arthroscopic surgery.
Hostin’s lawyer told the Daily Mail his client denies all the allegations and called the filing “a blanket, scattered, baseless lawsuit by an insurance carrier that is near bankruptcy.”
dr. Emmanuel Hostin, husband of “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin, is accused of insurance fraud in a sweeping federal lawsuit filed in New York last month. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
After her husband’s legal problems, Sunny Hostin’s own comments resurfaced.
Hostin talked about her husband’s work on “The View” last month while discussing the health insurance industry after the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“Doctors also suffer because of big corporations, doctors who want to do good like my husband,” Hostin she told her colleagues. “[He] he operates on someone without insurance and then has to sue the health insurance companies to get paid for the job he’s been trained to do his whole life.”
In addition, comments Hostin made in March 2023 about the seriousness of insurance fraud went viral while discussing possible charges against former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, who was serving time in prison for tax fraud.
“Prosecutors are like ‘Oh really? Well, how about we add some more fraud charges on you?’ And they’re talking about threatening him with insurance fraud, which I would say could get you 20 years in prison, so that’s a death sentence for him,” Hostin he said at the time.
While some titles have created fodder for critics, others signal drama within the Disney-owned network. ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl is reportedly “guessing” his colleague George Stephanopoulos’ spot as host of the Sunday morning news show “This Week” after the network $15 million settlement with President-elect Donald Trump.
Page Six reported this week that Karl, who is the rotating host of “This Week” with Stephanopoulos and Martha Raddatz despite Stephanopoulos’ name being in the title, “wants the show and sees [ABC’s Trump settlement] as an opportunity,” according to sources.
An ABC News spokesperson denied Karl’s reported ambitions, telling Page Six, “That’s not true. They have a friendly relationship with mutual respect.”
Page Six reported that ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl (L) is “in the running” for George Stephanopoulos’ job as anchor of “This Week.” (Paula Lobo/ABC via Getty Images)
The settlement, which was reached late last month, stemmed from comments Stephanopoulos made during an interview last March with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., when claimed ten separate times Trump was found “liable for rape,” when a jury in the civil case of E. Jean Carroll actually found him liable for “sexual assault,” which has a clear definition under New York law.
Initially, Stephanopoulos was defiant ahead of Trump’s lawsuit, telling CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert that he wouldn’t be “intimidated into doing his job because of a threat.”
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“Trump sued me for using the word ‘rape,’ even though the judge said it actually happened. We filed a motion to dismiss,” Stephanopoulos told Colbert.
A judge ultimately rejected ABC News’ request to dismiss Trump’s lawsuit and settled with the president-elect in December before starting a costly trial. The settlement decision was reportedly made by Disney CEO Bob Iger.
President-elect Trump and ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos settled out of court after Trump sued the Disney-owned network for defamation. (Getty Images)
In addition to paying Trump’s legal fees, Stephanopoulos and ABC News also had to issue statements of “regret” as an editor’s note at the bottom of an article on the ABC News website. The note reads: “ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during George Stephanopoulos’ interview with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”
Liberal critics from rival networks, including CNN, NBC and MSNBC, accused ABC News of “caving in” to Trump and setting a bad precedent.
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The drama unfolding at ABC News in recent weeks comes after intense scrutiny of the network’s election coverage, overseen by Disney co-chair Dana Walden, a close friend of Vice President Kamala Harris (A spokeswoman for ABC previously said Walden does not influence editorial decisions.).
ABC News faced backlash for its handling of the Trump-Harris presidential debate after Muir and co-host Linsey Davis repeatedly fact-checked Trump, allowing Harris to go unchallenged.
