The New York Publish reported late Thursday on a December 8 incident wherein CNN This Morning co-host and prima donna Don Lemon allegedly berated new co-host Kaitlan Collins for interrupting him through the present to the purpose that, in keeping with one supply, Collins turned “visibly upset and ran out of the studio.”

Since then, “the solid and crew” are nonetheless “rattled” because the present, which launched on November 1, has continued battle to achieve footing and drastically enhance on its cancelled predecessor, New Day.

As you’ll be able to see within the video beneath, the 2 repeatedly talked over one another through the present’s busy three hours because the information ranged from the Harry and Meghan Netflix documentary to the Mar-a-Lago radio to Ukraine to Britney Griner’s launch from Russia. And because the present wore on, the interruptions elevated with Lemon rising much less and fewer accepting.

The Publish’s Alexandra Steigard defined that the blowout reached CNN CEO Chris Licht, who hand-picked Collins, Lemon, and co-host Poppy Harlow and  “appalled” by Lemon’s outburst. In flip, Licht gave Lemon Friday off. However issues didn’t finish there (click on “broaden”):

In response to two sources with information of the scenario, 56-year-old Lemon approached 30-year-old Collins following the present’s Thursday, Dec. 8, broadcast — and unloaded on her in entrance of staffers as he accused her of “interrupting” him on air.

“Don screamed at Kaitlan, who was visibly upset and ran out of the studio,” one supply with information of the skirmish mentioned.

Information of the explosive incident made its means as much as CNN CEO Chris Licht, who is alleged to have been appalled by Lemon’s habits, in keeping with a supply. A second supply mentioned a producer talked to Lemon on the behest of Licht and advised the anchor to take the following time off to “cool off.”

The next night time, the three co-hosts have been slated to get drinks and arrive collectively at a White Home Christmas social gathering for the press, a supply mentioned. However the pre-party gathering by no means occurred after the emotional day and so they trickled into the bash individually, an insider with information mentioned. After the social gathering, Lemon had a late-night dinner along with his agent, Jay Sures, in keeping with sources.

The scenario was particularly awkward as a result of Collins — a rising star who had most lately served as CNN’s youngest chief White Home correspondent — can also be represented by the highly effective and well-connected Sures. Whereas he dined with Lemon, Collins met with the present’s different co-anchor, Poppy Harlow, the sources mentioned.

Certainly one of Steigard’s sources added that, not surprisingly, Collins now “desires to be on set with Don as little as potential.”

“Collins and Lemon, in the meantime, have been on set collectively much less ceaselessly for the reason that purported dustup. Lemon was most lately despatched to Memphis to quarterback protection on the demise of Tyre Nichols. Collins had been working remotely from Washington, DC, on and off in January,” she famous.

Steigard mentioned this incident had been beforehand reported, however solely “in passing” in a December 9 article by former CNN media reporter and present Puck “associate” Dylan Byers, who mentioned Lemon “skipped” work due to “exhaustion” from a “very tense section” with the previous Every day Caller reporter.

Byers excused Lemon’s blow-up by saying “it’d be onerous responsible” him “for being aggravated” and quipped “he’s nonetheless a younger man”. As Steigard noticed, Byers’s habits right here was notably slimy (in addition to a subsequent story knocking Collins’s expertise) since Byers, Collins, and Lemon share the identical expertise company.

Add in the truth that Steigard mentioned CNN executives have advised the drama king to speak much less and CNN This Morning’s unique govt producer has already been axed and the present has been a whole tirefire.

Final week, the fledgling present had its worst week ever with a median of simply 331,000 in comparison with opponents FNC’s Fox & Associates with nearly 1 million and MSNBC’s Morning Joe had 760,000.

It doesn’t take a lot brainpower to see that this was going to be an issue with Lemon receiving the demotion from weeknight primetime, the place he resided from April 2014 by September 2022.

On that entrance, Steigard’s sources confirmed what Radar had final week, which mentioned Lemon thought Collins and Harlow would function “his backup dancers”:

“Don’s a bossy man and tough to work with — even he would admit that. He was a solo act earlier than. He doesn’t need to be in Future’s Baby,” the supply added, referring to the music group headlined by Beyoncé within the early aughts.

Others near Lemon confirmed the previous primetime anchor is “not blissful” about sharing the limelight with Harlow and Collins.

“Don has an intractable ego,” a supply near each Licht and Lemon mentioned. “My understanding is he desires the present to be about him. I don’t understand how you repair that. It’s a really tough scenario.”