ABC Information is kicking off 2025 with a sequence of embarrassing headlines involving a few of its largest stars.
“World Information Tonight” anchor David Muir was scorched by critics in a viral second throughout Wednesday’s broadcast as he was reporting from Pacific Palisades within the aftermath of the devastating wildfires which have ravished Southern California.
Muir, carrying a yellow flame-resistant jacket with ABC Information’ brand in entrance, tried to point out viewers the rubble from burnt buildings behind him. However caught extra consideration was what was behind his personal again.
As he turned away from the digital camera, clothespins might be seen tightening Muir’s jacket close to his decrease again, offering him a slimmer look for viewers.
ABC NEWS’ MUIR MOCKED FOR MAKING HIS FIREFIGHTER COAT MORE FORM-FITTING FOR WILDFIRE REPORT
ABC Information’ David Muir was roasted on social media for being caught carrying clothespins to make him look slimmer whereas overlaying the devastation from the wildfires in Southern California. (Screenshots/ABC Information)
Jack Osbourne, TV persona and son of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, noticed the makeshift vogue accent and referred to as out the “World Information” anchor on X.
“Good Jacket Bro. Glad you look good and svelte with these garments line pegs, whereas our metropolis burns to the bottom,” Osbourne reacted.
Different critics blasted Muir as “pathetic” and “narcissistic” as he confronted accusations of prioritizing his look whereas reporting on the widespread devastation in Los Angeles.
Muir wasn’t the one ABC star depicted in an unflattering mild. “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin was on the heart of social media chatter after it was reported that her husband was dealing with medical fraud accusations in a sweeping federal lawsuit filed final month.
Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Emmanuel “Manny” Hostin and his follow, Hostin Orthopaedics & Sports activities Medication, have been named amongst greater than 180 defendants in a serious RICO case filed in New York on Dec. 17.
In response to The Daily Mail, Hostin and the opposite defendants have been allegedly receiving “kickbacks” for performing surgical procedures and fraudulently billing the insurance coverage firm that gives for Uber, Lyft and different taxi firms. The lawsuit alleges Hostin was given an “funding” curiosity within the Empire State Ambulatory Surgical procedure Middle whereas receiving a “regular stream” of affected person referrals in return.
Two of Hostin’s sufferers cited within the lawsuit have been allegedly handled in January 2023 following involvement in “low-impact” collisions that have been stated to have solely induced minimal injury, “not more than soft-tissue accidents,” however each acquired arthroscopic surgical procedure.
Hostin’s legal professional informed The Every day Mail his consumer denies all of the allegations and referred to as the submitting a “blanket, scattershot, meritless lawsuit by a near-bankrupt insurance coverage provider.”
Dr. Emmanuel Hostin, husband of “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin, was accused of insurance coverage fraud in a sweeping federal lawsuit that was filed in New York final month. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Pictures)
Within the wake of her husband’s authorized troubles, feedback made by Sunny Hostin herself have resurfaced.
Hostin spoke about her husband’s work on “The View” as not too long ago as final month whereas discussing the medical health insurance business within the aftermath of the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“Medical doctors endure due to huge firms as properly, docs that need to do good like my husband,” Hostin told her colleagues. “[He] operates on somebody regardless that they do not have insurance coverage after which has to sue medical health insurance firms to receives a commission for the work that he is been skilled his complete life to do.”
Moreover, feedback Hostin made in March 2023 in regards to the severity of insurance coverage fraud went viral as she mentioned potential expenses towards former Trump Group chief monetary officer Allen Weisselberg, who had been serving a jail sentence for tax fraud.
“Prosecutors are like ‘Oh actually? Nicely how about we add some extra fraud expenses onto you?’ They usually’re speaking about threatening him with insurance coverage fraud, which I might say you may get 20 years in jail. In order that’s a demise sentence for him,” Hostin said at the time.
Whereas some headlines have created fodder for critics, others sign drama contained in the Disney-owned community. ABC Information correspondent Jonathan Karl was reportedly “gunning” for his colleague George Stephanopoulos’ spot as host of the Sunday morning information present “This Week” following the community’s $15 million settlement with President-elect Donald Trump.
Page Six reported this week that Karl, who’s a rotating host of “This Week” with Stephanopoulos and Martha Raddatz regardless of Stephanopoulos’ title being within the title, “needs the present, and he sees [ABC’s Trump settlement] as a chance,” in keeping with sources.
A spokesperson for ABC Information denied Karl’s reported ambitions, telling Web page Six “It’s not true. They’ve a pleasant and mutually respectful relationship.”
Web page Six reported that ABC Information correspondent Jonathan Karl (L) is “gunning” for George Stephanopoulos’ job because the lead host of “This Week.” ( Paula Lobo/ABC through Getty Pictures)
The settlement, which was made late final month, stemmed from feedback Stephanopoulos made throughout an interview final March with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., when he claimed ten separate times Trump was discovered “answerable for rape,” when the jury within the E. Jean Carroll civil case truly decided him to be answerable for “sexual abuse,” which has a definite definition below New York regulation.
Initially, Stephanopoulos was defiant within the face of Trump’s lawsuit, telling CBS late-night host Stephen Colbert that he wouldn’t be “cowed out of doing my job due to a menace.”
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“Trump sued me as a result of I used the phrase ‘rape,’ regardless that a decide stated that’s in truth what did occur. We filed a movement to dismiss,” Stephanopoulos informed Colbert.
A decide in the end tossed ABC Information’ movement to dismiss Trump’s lawsuit and settled with the president-elect in December earlier than getting into a pricey trial. The choice to settle was reportedly made by Disney’s prime chief Bob Iger.
President-elect Trump and ABC Information anchor George Stephanopoulos settled outdoors of courtroom following Trump suing the Disney-owned community for defamation. (Getty Pictures)
Along with paying Trump’s authorized charges, Stephanopoulos and ABC Information additionally needed to problem statements of “remorse” as an editor’s observe on the backside of an article on ABC Information’ web site. The observe reads, “ABC Information and George Stephanopoulos remorse statements relating to President Donald J. Trump made throughout an interview by George Stephanopoulos with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC’s This Week on March 10, 2024.”
Liberal critics from rival networks, together with CNN, NBC and MSNBC accused ABC Information of “bending the knee” to Trump and setting a nasty precedent.
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The drama that has unfolded at ABC Information in current weeks comes on the heels of intense scrutiny over the community’s election protection, which was overseen by Disney co-chairman Dana Walden, a detailed good friend of Vice President Kamala Harris (An ABC spokesperson beforehand said Walden doesn’t weigh in on editorial selections.).
ABC Information confronted fierce backlash over its dealing with of the Trump-Harris presidential debate after Muir and his co-moderator Linsey Davis repeatedly fact-checked Trump whereas permitting Harris to go unchallenged.
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