EXCLUSIVE: Sunny Hostin Slammed by Critics for 'Playing Celebrity Card to Defend Her Son'
Sunny Hostin defended her son as critics accused the TV star of playing the celebrity card.
July 29 2026, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
The View's Sunny Hostin reportedly threw her celebrity weight around by asking cops if they knew who she was after her 24-year-old son, Gabriel [Hostin], was slapped with a trespassing violation in New York, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sources said huffy Sunny – a lawyer and former federal prosecutor – made the remark over the phone after Gabriel was accused of ignoring a "no trespassing" notice and jogging along train tracks.
Sunny Hostin Defends Son
Sunny Hostin allegedly identified herself as a cohost of 'The View' after Gabriel Hostin was cited for trespassing.
An insider said: "They were just talking to the kid because he was trespassing, but his mother made it an issue. She wanted to know why he was stopped and why did they talk to him."
Sunny, 57, allegedly mentioned the ABC chatfest that she's cohosted since 2016.
A source claimed: "She said, 'I am Sunny Hostin, I am on The View.'"
Court records show that Gabriel was stopped on June 16 near 24 Station Plaza in New Rochelle, N.Y. Authorities said he was spotted "on the right-of-way of the active railroad tracks, in violation of the posted no trespassing signs."
Sunny, who is serving as her son's lawyer, wrote a letter to an assistant district attorney asking for the case to be dismissed.
Hostin Defends Son's Actions
Court records said Gabriel was stopped near active railroad tracks after authorities alleged he ignored 'no trespassing' signs.
In the letter, she wrote: "My client is a 2025 Harvard University graduate with no criminal history or prior contact with the criminal justice system. He is an avid runner and former Junior Olympian track athlete who was in the area training."
The mama bear also insisted the "no trespassing" sign at the entrance wasn't visible to him at the time since the gate it hung from was left open.
She maintained: "He reasonably believed the area was accessible and had no intention of entering private property unlawfully."
Sunny Calls Charges Unnecessary
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Serving as Gabriel's lawyer, Sunny argued the trespassing case stemmed from an 'honest mistake.'
Sunny further argues that Gabriel was facing "unnecessary consequences" for an "honest mistake."
She added: "Dismissal would avoid imposing unnecessary consequences on a young man who has demonstrated exceptional character and achievement and who poses no risk to the community."
