‘The View’ Host Sunny Hostin’s Husband Involved in Insurance Fraud Lawsuit
A high-stakes legal battle erupts as Emmanuel “Manny” Hostin, spouse of The View co-host Sunny Hostin, faces accusations of participating in a massive insurance fraud scheme targeting rideshare and taxi drivers’ coverage. Court documents obtained by the Daily Mail reveal that Emmanuel, a prominent orthopedic surgeon at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West Hospitals, stands among nearly 200 defendants named in a lawsuit filed with the New York Eastern District Court on December 17, 2024.
The lawsuit alleges Emmanuel “knowingly provided fraudulent medical and other healthcare services including arthroscopic surgeries” and subsequently billed American Transit insurance company “in exchange for kickbacks and/or other compensation which were disguised as dividends or other cash distributions,” as reported by Us Weekly.
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Through his attorney Daniel John Thwaites, Emmanuel has strongly contested the allegations, characterizing the legal action as a “blanket, scattershot, meritless lawsuit by a near-bankrupt insurance carrier.” Thwaites further argued that the case “is meant to intimidate and harass doctors from collecting for care given to American Transit insureds and their passengers,” noting that the company “has rushed into the lawsuit without ever conducting an examination of Dr. Hostin or expressing any concerns to his lawyers. The real story here is about an insurance carrier abusing the legal system to limit and restrict health care benefits to its insureds and their passengers, and write off its proper obligations.”
Emmanuel has owned and operated Hostin Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine since 2006. The insurance company, which primarily serves Uber, Lyft, and taxi drivers, is seeking damages of at least $450 million. William Natbony, attorney for American Transit, emphasized to the Daily Mail that “‘No fault fraud is a huge problem in New York. American Transit filed a lawsuit as part of its statutory responsibility to fight such fraud.”
The legal controversy surrounds a notably private figure in contrast to his wife’s public career. Emmanuel and Sunny, 56, wed in 1998 and share two children: Gabe, born in 2002, and Paloma, born in 2006. The family resides in Purchase, New York.
Just last March, Sunny revealed on The View that her husband has no problem talking “about his feelings with his friends,” a rare glimpse into their private life. Now, as this legal challenge unfolds, that support system may prove crucial.
While maintaining a low profile, Emmanuel has occasionally featured in his wife’s public narratives, particularly during personal challenges. In January 2021, Sunny shared on The View: “Although I’ve chosen a very public career, as most of you know, those of you that know my husband, Manny, know that he is intensely private. But after speaking with him, he felt that from a public health standpoint it was very important for me to share that we are deeply saddened that Manny lost both of his parents over the holidays.”
She added that her in-laws, Dr. Maria Jesus and Dr. A. Emmanuel, “were both physicians and they were both very careful” and “didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving with us because we all decided that it wasn’t safe.” Representatives for both Sunny and Emmanuel Hostin have not responded to requests for comment from multiple media outlets as the legal proceedings begin to unfold.
