Sunny Hostin

Contents

Asunción "Sunny" Cummings Hostin[1] (/ˈhɒstɪn/; née Cummings; born October 20, 1968) is an American lawyer, author, and television host. She is a co-host on ABC's morning talk show The View, for which she has received nominations for Daytime Emmy Awards, as well as the Senior Legal Correspondent and Analyst for ABC News. She was also the host and executive producer of Investigation Discovery's true crime series Truth About Murder with Sunny Hostin.

Early life

Hostin was born on October 20, 1968, in New York City to a Puerto Rican mother, Rosa Beza, and an African American father, William Cummings.[2][3] Her maternal grandfather was a Sephardic Jew.[4]

In 2024, on the PBS series Finding Your Roots, Hostin learned that she has a large amount of Spanish ancestry, is a descendant of Spanish colonists and her fourth great-grandfather was a slave trader.[5][6] She is 7 percent indigenous Puerto Rican.

Hostin was raised in The Bronx, New York City, attended the all-girls Dominican Academy, and is bilingual in English and Spanish.[3][7] She received a Bachelor of Arts in English and Rhetoric[8] from Binghamton University and a Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School.[9]

Career

Hostin began her career as a law clerk to retired Chief Judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals Robert M. Bell and later became a trial attorney in the United States Department of Justice Antitrust Division.[10] Hostin left the Antitrust Division to become a federal prosecutor, specializing in child sex crimes.[11]

She began her television career as a commentator for Court TV and began using the stage name "Sunny Hostin" after host Nancy Grace was unable to pronounce "Asunción" and asked if she had a nickname she could use instead.[12] Hostin was then offered a spot on the Fox News program The O'Reilly Factor,[7] where she appeared on the show's "Is It Legal?" segments, regularly debating with Bill O'Reilly and Megyn Kelly. She signed with CNN in September 2007 as the legal analyst for its morning show American Morning. In March 2016, it was announced that Hostin was joining ABC News as Senior Legal Correspondent and analyst.[13] She became a permanent co-host of The View beginning the show's twentieth season in September 2016.[14] In 2017, Hostin made a cameo appearance as herself in the comedy film Girls Trip.[15]

In 2019, Hostin hosted and executive-produced the six-episode documentary series Truth About Murder With Sunny Hostin on Investigation Discovery, on which she travels to various parts of the US to explore the stories behind some of the nation's most notorious homicides.[16] She also hosted a podcast titled Have You Seen This Man?, produced by ABC.[17] Hostin released I Am These Truths, a memoir, in 2020.[18] The following year, she released a novel, titled Summer on the Bluffs.[19] The book was to be adapted into a television series.[20] Hostin is also set to executive-produce The Counsel, a drama television series inspired by her life and career.[21]

Personal life

Hostin is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc..[22] She is married to Spanish and Haitian orthopedic surgeon Emmanuel Hostin.[23] In January 2025, he was among 199 defendants accused of insurance fraud in a civil lawsuit filed under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) in New York.[24]

They have two children, a son and daughter.[25] The family resides in the hamlet of Purchase in the town of Harrison, New York;[23] and own a second home in the Martha's Vineyard community of Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts.[26] Hostin is Catholic.[27]

In June 2026, her son Gabriel Hostin was issued a citation for trespassing in New Rochelle, New York; Hostin is representing him at a court appearance scheduled for July 31.[28] While Gabriel was being detained by police, his mother asserted that she was a federal prosecutor. [29]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryResultRef.
2017Daytime Emmy AwardOutstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host (shared with Joy Behar, Jedediah Bila, Candace Cameron Bure, Paula Faris, Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, and Raven-Symoné)Nominated[30]
2018Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host (shared with Joy Behar, Jedediah Bila, Paula Faris, Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, and Meghan McCain)Nominated[31]
2019Outstanding Entertainment Talk Show Host (shared with Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Abby Huntsman, and Meghan McCain)Nominated[32]
2020Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host (shared with Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Abby Huntsman, Meghan McCain, and Ana Navarro)Nominated[33]
2022Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host (shared with Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Sara Haines, Meghan McCain, and Ana Navarro)Nominated[34]
2024Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host (shared with Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, and Ana Navarro)Nominated[35]

References

  1. 1.The View (May 24, 2016). "Paula Faris Says Kris Jenner Has An "Ulterior Motive" In Plan To Change Name Back To "Kardashian"". Archived from the original on April 27, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2016 – via YouTube.
  2. 2."Celebrity birthdays for the week of Oct. 20-26". Associated Press. October 14, 2019. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  3. 3.[3.2]Pulia, Shalayne (September 21, 2018). "The View's Sunny Hostin Wants You to Start Believing Women". InStyle. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  4. 4.Cole, Harriette (August 23, 2021). "Journalist and Lawyer Sunny Hostin on Identity, Achievement and Passion". AARP. My grandmother, my mother's mother, was born in Puerto Rico. She is what we in Puerto Rico call a Taíno, she was a native there, indigenous to Puerto Rico, so sort of an Indian Puerto Rican. My mother's father is a Sephardic Jew, so Jewish but from Spain. And then my father is African American. So I am definitely multiracial.
  5. 5."The View star Sunny Hostin 'in shock' as Finding Your Roots reveals family owned slaves". Entertainment Weekly. February 6, 2024.
  6. 6.""Finding Your Roots:" "The View" host Sunny Hostin learns Spanish ancestors owned slaves". Salon. February 7, 2024.
  7. 7.[7.2]Yarnell, Laurie (September 24, 2018). "The View's Sunny Hostin Talks Life On and Off the Camera". Westchester Magazine. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  8. 8."Sunny Hostin '90 and Following Your Dreams". Binghamton University. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  9. 9.McKeegan, Colleen Leahey (May 20, 2019). "Sunny Hostin Shares the Shocking Reason She Ended Up On TV". Marie Claire.
  10. 10.Yarnell, Laurie (September 24, 2018). "The View's Sunny Hostin Talks Life On and Off the Camera". Westchester Magazine. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
  11. 11.Real, Evan (October 18, 2019). "Sunny Hostin on Taking a Different Approach to True Crime With 'Truth About Murder'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  12. 12.'The View's Sunny Hostin Says She Changed Her Spanish Name After Nancy Grace Asked Her To: "She Struggled, Every Take"
  13. 13."Sunny Hostin Joins ABC News as Senior Legal Correspondent & Analyst". ABC News. February 24, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  14. 14."'The View' Co-Hosts, Co-Executive Producer Talk Staffing Rumors, Lessons Learned". The Hollywood Reporter. September 6, 2016. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  15. 15."'Girls Trip' Crosses $100 Million at Domestic Box Office". Variety. August 18, 2017.
  16. 16."Sunny Hostin Will Host 'The Whole Truth' on Investigation Discovery". Variety. April 9, 2019.
  17. 17.Minutaglio, Rose (October 23, 2019). "A New ABC Podcast is Trying to Find Escaped Murderer Lester Eubanks". Elle.
  18. 18.Perez, Lexy (September 22, 2020). "Sunny Hostin on "Taking a Risk" in New Memoir to Champion People of Color". The Hollywood Reporter.
  19. 19.Mizoguchi, Karen (May 4, 2021). "Sunny Hostin's Summer on the Bluffs a 'Love Letter to Black, Latina Women'". People.
  20. 20.Zorrilla, Mónica Marie (May 4, 2021). "'The View' Co-Host Sunny Hostin Launches Inclusive Production Company Focused on Social Justice". Variety.
  21. 21.Petski, Denise (October 28, 2020). "Fox Nabs 'The Counsel' Drama From Sunny Hostin & Scott Free With Penalty". Deadline Hollywood.
  22. 22.Christian, Tanya A. (January 21, 2020). "Sunny Hostin Turned Childhood Trauma Into Triumph". Essence. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  23. 23.[23.2]Calderone, Ana (April 11, 2018). "The View's Sunny Hostin Gives a Tour of Her Historic Mansion Previously Owned by the Lehman Family". People. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  24. 24.Bellusci, Olivia (January 13, 2025). "'The View' co-host sets the record straight on lawsuit against husband". Newsweek. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  25. 25.Henderson, Cydney (June 21, 2019). "'View' co-host Sunny Hostin slams Bethenny Frankel for accusing her of 'taking some drugs'". USA Today. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
  26. 26.Egan, Elisabeth (May 20, 2021). "When Your Name Is Sunny (Hostin), Your Beach Read Belongs on the Best-Seller List". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  27. 27.Sharf, Zack (June 27, 2022). "'The View' Co-Host Sunny Hostin Doesn't Believe in Abortion or 'Any Exception,' Even Incest, but Disagrees With Supreme Court". Variety. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  28. 28.Esquibias, Liza (July 13, 2026). "'The View' host Sunny Hostin representing son in NYC court case". USA Today. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  29. 29.https://www.foxnews.com/us/bodycam-catches-sunny-hostin-invoking-legal-chops-cops-cite-harvard-grad-son-trespassing
  30. 30.Evans, Greg (March 22, 2017). "2017 Daytime Emmy Nominations: CBS Leads Networks With 70 Noms, 'Young & Restless' Tops With 25". Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  31. 31.Montgomery, Daniel (March 21, 2018). "2018 Daytime Emmy nominations: Full list of nominees for 45th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards". Retrieved March 22, 2018.
  32. 32."The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Announces Nominations for the 46th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards" (PDF). March 20, 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 27, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  33. 33.Nordyke, Kimberly; Howard, Annie (May 21, 2020). "Daytime Emmy Awards: 'General Hospital' Tops Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  34. 34.Schneider, Michael (June 24, 2022). "Daytime Emmys 2022 Winners List". Variety. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  35. 35.Robinson, KiMi (April 18, 2024). "2024 Daytime Emmys: List of nominees, including Dick Van Dyck, more". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.