Get To Know Sunny Hostin & The ‘Truth About Murder’

Sunny Hostin is joining the ID talent family as the host and executive producer of the new series “Truth About Murder With Sunny Hostin.” Hostin, a former undefeated federal prosecutor, now works as a victims’ rights advocate. She is also well-known as a senior legal correspondent for ABC News and co-host of the network's daytime talk show “The View.”

On “Truth About Murder,” Hostin travels to the sites of America’s most perplexing cases, interviewing detectives, prosecutors, coroners, and speaking with victims’ families. She uses her professional and personal expertise to piece together the evidence and, ultimately, get to the heart of what exactly happened.

Watch the premiere episode on ID Go now!

CrimeFeed: How will “Truth About Murder” be different from other true crime shows?

Hostin: People love true crime. I think it’s because we love being the “armchair detective.” I was a federal prosecutor, and I remember that many of our victims’ stories were never told.

For example, when I was 7, I saw my uncle get stabbed in front of me. One of the things that I remember most about the experience is that our family never talked about it. We moved from the South Bronx into Manhattan, and it changed our lives irrevocably – but no one addressed it.

I wanted to show what life is like for the victims of tragedy because so often, the true crime shows focus more on the killer. “Truth About Murder” dives deep into the stories of the victims and those they unwillingly left behind, which I find very unique and powerful.

How were the cases for the show chosen?

I went all around the country and chose cases where I could showcase the victims’ perspectives to the best of my ability. I wanted to tell the story of what happens to a community and people’s families when something unspeakable occurs.

Families opened up to me about how you can survive a tragic event, even if it changes your whole life. While my uncle survived his stabbing, his recovery was long and the man who stabbed him was never charged. The entire case didn’t seem urgent to the police.

Recently, I told my father that I’m doing this show in part because of my own experience as a young girl. He couldn’t believe I remembered the stabbing, mostly because we never talked about it. Victims of crimes tend to shut it out and never speak about it. I want the show to be an opportunity for families to discuss these tragedies, giving a voice to victims and their communities.

What do you hope “Truth About Murder” will accomplish?

A lifelong dream and goal of mine has been to give a voice to the voiceless. As a federal prosecutor, every day, I worked toward giving victims a voice by trying their abusers. I do something similar every morning on “The View,” by voicing my unwavering opinions.

I feel I’ve found my calling and my true passion in making “Truth About Murder,” and by executive producing and hosting the show, I have another platform to give a voice to those who no longer have one.

I see on your Instagram that you raise chickens. Tell me everything! What are their names? Do you get all your eggs from them? How many do you have?

Yes, I have 16 chickens! Each day I get about 16 eggs — one from each. We’re a big family, and we eat a lot of eggs, cakes, and frittatas. It’s wonderful.

I’ve named all of them, and I remember each of their names. If you don’t name your chickens, it’s because you’re going to eat them – and we don’t eat our pets! They even have their own Instagram account: @hostins_hens!

What’s something most fans don’t know about you?

In addition to my chickens, I’ve always been fascinated by bees. I’ve read a lot about how they are becoming extinct. They’ve been around forever – they’re prehistoric.

Honey is an ancient ointment that people used to fight infections. My grandmother from Puerto Rico used to use it when I was little and would get scrapes.

I even had a beekeeper come to our house and set up a hive. He gave me and my son Gabriel a three-hour lesson on bees and taught me how to harvest their honey. He also taught my daughter, Paloma, how to make candles from beeswax. It was such a cool experience!

If I had my way, I would have a farm. I have two dogs: cocker spaniels, Rex and Marley. I’ve been looking at pictures of miniature goats on Instagram a lot….