Embarrassing headlines for ABC News: David Muir's clothespin blunder and Sunny Hostin's husband drama.

In 2025, ABC News will begin the year with a string of humiliating news stories featuring some of its most prominent personalities.

During Wednesday's broadcast, "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir faced criticism from viewers after being scorched by flames while reporting from Pacific Palisades on the aftermath of the devastating wildfires in Southern California.

As Muir stood in front of burnt buildings, wearing a yellow flame-resistant jacket with ABC News' logo, viewers couldn't help but notice what was happening behind his back.

Muir's jacket was tightened near his lower back with clothespins as he turned away from the camera, giving him a slimmer appearance for viewers.

The "World News" anchor was criticized by TV personality Jack Osbourne, who is the son of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, for wearing a makeshift fashion accessory.

Osbourne responded, "Nice Jacket, Bro. Glad you look sharp with those clothes line pegs, while our city is on fire."

Muir was criticized as "pathetic" and "narcissistic" by other critics as he faced accusations of prioritizing his appearance while reporting on the widespread devastation in Los Angeles.

Sunny Hostin, a "The View" co-host, became the focus of social media discussions after her husband was accused of medical fraud in a federal lawsuit filed last month.

Dr. Emmanuel "Manny" Hostin and his practice, Hostin Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, were included in a significant RICO lawsuit filed in New York on December 17, alongside over 180 other defendants.

The Daily Mail reports that Hostin and other defendants were accused of receiving "kickbacks" for performing surgeries and fraudulently billing an insurance company that covers Uber, Lyft, and other taxi companies. The lawsuit claims that Hostin received an "investment" interest in the Empire State Ambulatory Surgery Center while also receiving a "continuous flow" of patient referrals.

In January 2023, two of Hostin's patients involved in low-impact collisions with minimal damage received arthroscopic surgery, despite only sustaining soft-tissue injuries.

Hostin's lawyer stated that his client rejects all accusations and characterized the lawsuit as a "vague, careless, and baseless claim by a struggling insurance company."

Sunny Hostin's comments about her husband's legal issues have resurfaced.

In a recent discussion on "The View," Hostin mentioned her husband's work on the show while discussing the health insurance industry following the assassination of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

"Doctors, like my husband, suffer due to big corporations, even though they want to do good, and have to sue health insurance companies to get paid for the work they've been trained to do, even when the patient doesn't have insurance."

In March 2023, Hostin discussed the severity of insurance fraud and potential charges against former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, who was serving a prison sentence for tax fraud.

At the time, Hostin stated that prosecutors were like saying "Oh really? Well how about we add some additional fraud charges onto you?" and they were discussing threatening him with insurance fraud, which could result in a 20-year prison sentence. This, Hostin believed, was a death sentence for him.

ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl was reportedly "eager" for his colleague George Stephanopoulos' spot as host of the Sunday morning news show "This Week" following the network's $15 million settlement with President-elect Donald Trump.

Sources claim that Karl, who hosts "This Week" with Stephanopoulos and Raddatz, wants the show and views the Trump settlement as an opportunity.

ABC News refuted reports about Karl's ambitions, stating that they have a friendly and respectful relationship.

The settlement, which was finalized recently, resulted from Stephanopoulos's statements during an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace in March 2021, where he falsely claimed Trump was found guilty of rape ten times, when in reality, the jury in the E. Jean Carroll civil case found him liable for sexual abuse, which has a specific meaning under New York law.

Stephanopoulos remained resolute in the face of Trump's lawsuit, asserting to Colbert that he wouldn't be intimidated into abandoning his duties.

Stephanopoulos said that Trump sued him for using the word "rape," despite a judge ruling it was true, and they filed a motion to dismiss.

Disney's top chief Bob Iger ultimately settled with President-elect Trump in December, after a judge tossed ABC News' motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

ABC News and George Stephanopoulos were forced to issue a statement of regret as an editor's note on their website following an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace on ABC's This Week on March 10, 2024. The note reads, "ABC News and George Stephanopoulos regret statements regarding President Donald J. Trump made during the interview."

Rival networks such as CNN, NBC, and MSNBC, which are known for their liberal views, accused ABC News of "kneeling to Trump" and setting a negative example.

The recent events at ABC News have been preceded by criticism of the network's election coverage, which was overseen by Disney co-chairman Dana Walden, a close friend of Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Trump-Harris presidential debate was met with criticism from ABC News after Muir and Davis fact-checked Trump but did not challenge Harris.