NBC has reportedly fired the editor responsible for leaking footage of MSNBC host Lawrence O’Donnell having a meltdown during taping of his show “The Last Word.”
In case you missed it, an eight-minute compilation was released last month that showed O’Donnell having multiple outbursts at staffers over the “insanity” in his earpiece, hammering he was hearing, and other frustrations.
Warning: Strong Language
According to the New York Post, the person responsible was a male editor from the “Today” show.One source said, “The video of Lawrence O’Donnell was leaked on Sept. 20. The leaker was identified, confronted and fired on Sept. 26. It turned out to be a ‘Today’ show editor who said he did it because he thought it was funny. But it wasn’t exactly the perfect crime — he left a very clear trail.”
Sources connected with the leak had told Page Six the video was slipped to Mediaite as a broadcast-quality digital clip — and that only a handful of people are believed to be capable of accessing and transmitting such a file.
We’re now told that the leaker, whose name has not been released, had left a clear digital trail that allowed NBC honchos to track him down. NBC declined to comment. (Page Six)
O’Donnell apologized for his behavior hours after the story was published.
“A better anchorman and a better person would've had a better reaction to technical difficulties,” he tweeted. “I'm sorry.”
A better anchorman and a better person would've had a better reaction to technical difficulties. I'm sorry.
— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) September 20, 2017