Van Lathan Speaks Out After TMZ Fires Him
Longtime TMZ staffer Van Lathan has been fired from the media firm after a “nasty confrontation” along with his longtime colleague Michael Babcock.
Based on Web page Six, Lathan and Babcock each appeared on the location’s on-line present TMZ Reside a few week in the past the place that they had “some form of disagreement.” Whereas their disagreement was reportedly edited out, sources declare they had been arguing over politics, which has been a scorching subject between them for a while. The location experiences that each males lean on reverse ends of the political spectrum, with Babcock leaning far proper.
Following his firing, Lathan took to his social media accounts to reassure his followers that he’s simply tremendous.
“I am okay,” he tweeted. “Promise you guys. Significantly.”
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Web page Six added that issues first received heated within the newsroom between Lathan and Babcock after the previous went face to face with Kanye West in 2018 over the rapper’s claims that slavery was “a alternative.”
The location added that, per their sources, Lathan confronted Babcock after the section and instructed him there could be hassle between them if he “ever embarrassed [Lathan] like that once more.” Lathan reportedly met with TMZ’s attorneys after the confrontation and was suspended. He was allegedly dismissed days later.
Sources additional defended Lathan following his firing, stressing that it’s nothing particular when staffers are pitted towards each other “for the sake of creating good TV.”
“Van’s not mean-spirited,” an insider mentioned. “Something that occurred is a product of that setting.”
Insiders additionally added that Lathan, who’s one of some Black TMZ staffers, was “an enormous half” of the location’s success of the previous few years and so they had been “surprised” to be taught of his firing over this incident.
