Family Drama In Full 'View': Inside Sunny Hostin's Husband's Scandalous Legal Troubles

"The View," which was originally created by the legendary Barbara Walters, is known, and beloved, for its spirited discussions, many of which are about controversial topics. One notable star, Sunny Hostin, has pointed fingers many times, most recently at Donald Trump. But now the fingers are pointing back in her direction, at least by association. Sunny's husband, orthopedic surgeon Emmanuel "Manny" Hostin, has been named in a huge lawsuit filed by American Transit, an insurance company whose primary clients are taxi and ride-sharing drivers. 

The insurer is claiming the nearly 200 physicians in question have been filing fraudulent claims at their expense, and they're seeking over $450 million in damages. Dr. Hostin, who has been married to Sunny since 1998, is the owner of Hostin Orthopaedics in midtown Manhattan. According to documents obtained by the Daily Mail, he allegedly performed unnecessary arthroscopic surgery in at least two cases. The patients reportedly had been in minor car accidents and suffered injuries that would likely have healed on their own.

Manny is accused of rushing to operate instead so he could collect "kickbacks and/or other compensation" on the subsequent claims, "which were disguised as dividends or other cash distributions." The doctor's attorney, Daniel Thwaites, proclaimed his innocence, adding that it is a "blanket, scattershot, meritless lawsuit by a near-bankrupt insurance carrier." Thwaites also pointed out the surgeon's flawless credentials, and alleged that American Transit had made no effort to address their concerns with Hostin Orthopaedics privately before filing the suit.

Sunny Hostin has occupied her seat on "The View" since 2016, and in that time, she's caught heat for several controversial statements. Hostin's scorn for Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential elections was met with hateful comments, and Hostin eventually deleted her X account to distance herself both from the divisive politician himself and from the site's equally controversial owner Elon Musk. On the fourth anniversary of the January 6 Capitol riots, she was heavily criticized for comparing them to "the Holocaust [and] chattel slavery" as a moment in history that should never be forgotten, per the New York Post.

Now another of her "View" comments may come back to bite both Hostin and her husband as he faces the insurance fraud lawsuit. On December 11, 2024, the panel discussed the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the surprising amount of public support for the shooter. "We have a terrible healthcare system," Hostin opined (via YouTube). "And, you know, doctors suffer because of big corporations, as well — doctors that want to do good. Like, my husband operates on someone even though they don't have insurance, and then has to sue health insurance companies to get paid for the work he's been trained his whole life to do."

Sunny Hostin's husband has been named in a massive insurance fraud RICO case. WACTH: Hostin implicates her husband in such a scheme: "[He] operates on someone even though they don't have insurance and then has to sue health insurance companies to get paid for the work..." pic.twitter.com/P2ZvLdmhzt

— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) January 7, 2025

The clip was reposted on X, formerly known as Twitter, where commenters were practically gleeful over what they saw as a damning and highly hypocritical statement on Hostin's part. A doctor suing insurance companies for work on uninsured patients, many reasoned, certainly sounded like a shady practice. As one X user wondered aloud, "As a former prosecutor, shouldn't she know the legal implications of his actions and her admissions?" Another even predicted that this might mark the end of the outspoken co-host's time on the show, quipping: "Bye Sunny!"