Scandalous Rumors About David Muir We Can't Ignore

David Muir, acclaimed host of ABC's "World News Tonight," has a long and decorated history on air. Muir first made his mark on ABC back in 2003 when he became an anchor for "World News Now" after a three-year stint on WCVB. He then stepped into the role of Diane Sawyer's predecessor on "World News Tonight" in 2014. As host of the evening news series, Muir received millions of viewers nightly. Throughout his years delivering the news, Muir has made cringeworthy mistakes caught by audiences, collected himself an arsenal of bad moments on air, and made some missteps in his career. 

Yet, the news anchor remained successful. What you need to know about Muir is that he will continue his efforts to make his mark. "I think it's really important to continue to try being better," he told People in May 2025. "The moment you stop learning, the moment you're no longer curious, the moment you don't believe you can be better ... is probably a time to sort of check yourself." With his fast climb to stardom and sharp journalistic instincts, Muir has certainly crafted a reputation to be reckoned with, but his golden boy image has not been unsullied by the rumor mill.

While on site during the Los Angeles, California wildfire coverage in January 2025, David Muir appeared before audiences in a bright yellow ABC News fireman's jacket. The "World News Tonight" host gestured toward the wreckage behind him while detailing the catastrophic event, revealing a small detail to his look. As Muir turned his body, a series of clothespins secured to the back of his jacket were revealed. Speculation that this had been done to more attractively cinch Muir's waist quickly circulated online, with one X user writing, "LMFAOOOOOO not David Muir using clothes pins to snatch up his jacket like a Fashion Nova model." Though the moment was quick, it set the internet ablaze and led to further speculation about Muir's vain behaviors. 

An ABC insider voiced their concern about Muir possibly being a narcissist to Page Six amid the controversy, revealing, "His narcissism is quite large in the sense of this kind of thing. I like David, except for this part of him." In comparison to other news anchors, the source noted that, "Anderson [Cooper], [Chris] Cuomo wear all the [muscle shirts], but they would never wear this [during a wildfire]." A second insider supported this speculation, even alleging that Muir's Instagram posts were all posed to subtly flaunt his gym bod. "All flexed muscles and posing," the source said. "He's actually 'Zoolander' meets 'Anchorman.' He forgets he is the face of ABC News, not Abercrombie & Fitch!" 

Both iconic stars of the ABC news world, David Muir and George Stephanopoulos stand out as staples of the network, but their unity on the ABC front is supposedly nothing more than a facade. Allegedly starting back in 2021, their feud broke out when Muir accepted his role as the primary host for breaking news, a role that had been previously held by Stephanopoulos. As the animosity supposedly continued, Disney CEO Bob Iger allegedly flew out to settle the disagreement between the two hosts. Yet, this intervention reportedly only briefly calmed the storm, as more and more headlines promised updates on the news hosts' hatred for each another.

Following the Iger visit in the early 2020s, more controversy sparked during ABC's studio change in 2024. Upon the move, Stephanopoulos apparently requested that he receive a dressing room the same size as Muir's. The rumored comment marked a continuation in the ongoing saga between the two ABC rivals. And, as more and more reports reached headlines, the network attempted to kill these rumors. In April 2025, ABC had a representative speak out against this gossip. "This is a tired narrative. Everyone at ABC News is proud of David's recognition," a rep shared in a statement obtained by the Daily Mail. But this feud only served to mar Muir's image even more, making other feud rumors seem more plausible. 

In October 2025, a scandalous rumor centered on ABC news host David Muir and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt painted an explicit and damaging report of the pair's supposed interview interaction. In a series of online accusations, Muir allegedly interviewed Leavitt for an ABC special that ended in disaster and a lawsuit. Leavitt was said to have attacked Muir's character and network during the interview, while Muir was reported to have shot back at the secretary with his own choice words, according to the internet gossip. Following the failed interview, the "World News Tonight" host apparently sued the press secretary for a whopping $50 million in a defamation suit. 

The rumor portrayed both parties in a heated dispute that ended in complete disaster, even leading to legal action; however, this rumor was nipped in the bud by Distractify with a fact-checked response to the gossip. Not only was the publication unable to find any proof that supported the claim of the lawsuit, but they were also unable to find evidence of the interview itself. Nevertheless, with Muir's rumored short temper and alleged feuds with other media professionals, this speculation might have held some truthful insights into Muir's behavior outside of its fabricated story.

After landing a coveted interview with then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2015, David Muir had high hopes for a very successful night in audience numbers. However, despite his over 7 million viewers, Muir had significantly fewer viewers than his and his network's rival: NBC's Lester Holt. The "Dateline" host aired an episode of "NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt" on the same night of Muir's interview and garnered a wide audience of over 8 million viewers. The numbers showed an obvious defeat of the ABC news host, leaving his show standing second to Holt's. 

Muir was reported to have had a negative and volatile reaction to the ratings news. As an ABC staffer told Page Six, the anchor had developed a short temper, and staff and crew found themselves on the receiving end of his wrath. Giving a detailed reason behind Muir's behavior, the insider said, "David feels under pressure and returned to New York from Rome cranky and has been lashing out at the staff," adding that Muir had become known as "Anchor Monster" among those who worked with him.