The Biggest Rumors To Plague ABC Anchor David Muir

Davir Muir wanted to be where he is since he was a kid. Now that he's achieved his goals, he wants people to focus on that. The "ABC World News Tonight" anchor and "20/20" co-anchor is notoriously private about his life. On the rare occasions he discusses it, he connects his experiences to his career. "I remember being outside, playing with the rest of the kids in the neighborhood and being the only kid who would go inside when the local news came on," he told People in May 2025.

However, Muir's efforts have only increased interest in what he does when he's not in front of the cameras. And since he never addresses any questions, the internet has taken it upon itself to fill in the gaps. Rumors about Muir's love life, relationships with colleagues, and professional decisions abound. Many have easily been debunked, indicating that Muir has really given the rumor mill no ammunition whatsoever. Despite all the questions and speculations, he has remained steadfast in his approach.

Muir doesn't engage with any rumors and keeps all questions focused on his work. It might not be that hard. After all, he admittedly did little but work for years on end. "I often work seven days a week. I'm not looking for a pat on the back because I love what I do," he told Syracuse in 2014, the year he took over the anchor seat from Diane Sawyer. Muir's strategy to keep his life under wraps has largely worked, but it hasn't protected him from rumors.

Even though he is one of America's most prominent journalists, David Muir's personal life is largely a mystery. In fact, he has never had a public relationship. But the more he tries to keep his life out of the spotlight, the more interest it generates. Evidence of it can be seen in the numerous rumors surrounding his love life and sexuality. Muir has been linked to a few people, including men and women, though he never commented on any of the speculation.

In September 2015, former Jezebel deputy editor Kate Dries claimed she was Muir's girlfriend after Page Six reported that ABC staffers had nicknamed him "anchor monster" for having a temper. "I've just learned — in a public forum, no less — that my boyfriend, ABC News anchor David Muir, is a, quote unquote, monster," Dries wrote in a Jezebel post. She went on to explain that Muir had been under a lot of stress at work, cautioning fans not to take the report at face value. "I mean, he's such a sweetie!" she wrote.

Dries also shared several posts from Muir's Instagram account, claiming she had taken the pictures. Given the tone of the piece, it's unclear whether Dries was serious or not. Muir never addressed the claims. Muir has also been linked to men, including colleague Gio Benitez and someone named Sean. However, there is no evidence of it whatsoever. Rumors may abound, but Muir has done a phenomenal job keeping his relationships under wraps.

If his love life — or lack thereof — is any indication, David Muir dedicates much of his time to his career. And if the rumors are true, his journalism ambitions brought out Muir's shady side and caused high tension behind the cameras. Muir is said to have entered an enduring feud with ABC star George Stephanopoulos in his quest to reach the very top. The ambitious younger journalist was reportedly not afraid to challenge Stephanopoulos over his position as the alpha anchor.

Noticing his so-called competitor's growing power, Stephanopoulos went so far as to threaten to quit ABC over Muir. Not only did he not quit, but he reportedly also accepted that he had lost the battle. "David won," former CNN reporter Oliver Darcy told the Daily Mail in March 2025. "There's a reason that George Stephanopoulos does not play a role in the larger ABC news political coverage anymore." Stephanopoulos himself seemingly tried to put speculation to rest, albeit not always very convincingly.

When Muir was named one of Time's 100 most influential people in April 2025, his colleague congratulated him on the air after his "Good Morning America" co-host Robin Roberts celebrated, "David Muir! Our own David Muir!" Stephanopoulos followed it up with, "Congratulations to David and all the nominees," and quickly moved on. On the other hand, ABC has been more emphatic in its attempts to quash the feud rumors. "This is a tired narrative. Everyone at ABC News is proud of David's recognition," the network told the Daily Mail.

David Muir's absence from "ABC World News Tonight" in August 2024 sparked rumors that he might be leaving his post. Later that year, YouTube videos began to spread the fake news, which, judging by the comments section, many believed. "He is pure gold, and I will miss him," one user wrote. He didn't quit, but neither did the rumors. In June 2025, social media accounts once again announced that Muir was leaving ABC after more than two decades with the network and more than a decade as "World News Tonight" anchor.

"The network's most trusted voice is walking away — and insiders say the reason may be more complicated than anyone expected," a Facebook post read. The dramatic caption served as a sample of the wholly unsubstantiated article. As Snopes noted, the piece attached included AI-generated content and didn't follow basic journalism principles. That wasn't the only post to make such a claim, with others popping up intermittently.

Despite all the red flags, Facebook users ate it up. "OMG!!!! I thought we had him for many more years. Oh well he's going to be missed very much. We wish him all the best," one penned. Muir is still going strong. And just like in 2024, he returned to "World News Tonight" after a brief absence in August 2025. As it turned out, Muir had gone on vacation to Italy the first time around. Perhaps that's what he did again. One thing is clear, though: There's no indication that Muir is going anywhere as far as his job is concerned.