*We previously reported… TMZ’s Van Lathan was shown the door this week after getting into a heated argument with fellow personality/star, Michael Babcock.
According to reports, the physical altercation was sparked by a debate over Ellen Degeneres and former President George W. Bush spotted at a football game together earlier this month.
Page Six was first to report about Lathan and Babcock’s political argument during a taping of TMZ Live.
“We’d heard from sources that Lathan had put his hand around Babcock’s throat but didn’t publish the claim without evidence. But on Tuesday, pictures emerged clearly confirming that Lathan had gotten physical,” Page Six wrote (via NewsOne).
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The best part about the Van/Babcock exchange was the look on Edward’s & Alexia’s faces like “Oh shit! It’s about to go down!” ? ? ? ?#TMZLive @TMZLive @VanLathan @mikejbabcock @charleslat pic.twitter.com/2oTLWkY1vK
— David Thielen (@DavidThielen1) October 8, 2019
According to the outlet, after Lathan finished shooting, he “walked all the way across the room, came from behind [Babcock] and grabbed him.”
Allegedly, during the segment that was edited out, Lathan said “I’m going to speak now.” Babcock reportedly replied with, “You’re not telling me when I can talk and when I can’t.”
An insider reportedly defended Lathan by saying “in the site’s high-pressure newsroom, staffers are often pitted against each other for the sake of making good TV.” The insider added, “Van’s not mean-spirited. Anything that happened is a product of that environment.”
Lathan wrote on Twitter, “I’m okay. Promise you guys. Seriously.”
Here’s what Page Six originally reported about the incident:
We’re told that the pair appeared on the site’s online show “TMZ Live” together about a week and a half ago and had some kind of disagreement. The on-air face-off has been edited out, we’re told, but sources say they were sparring over politics, which has increasingly come between them. Lathan famously went head-to-head with Kanye West last year over the rapper’s claims that slavery was “a choice.” Meanwhile, we’re told Babcock leans to the right.
Sources say that Lathan confronted Babcock in the newsroom after the segment and told him there would be trouble if he “ever embarrassed [Lathan] like that again.” Insiders say Lathan met with the site’s attorneys and he was suspended. He was dismissed a few days later, we’re told.
An insider defended Lathan — who also hosts the “Red Pill” podcast — saying that in the site’s high-pressure newsroom, staffers are often pitted against each other for the sake of making good TV.
When reached for comment by Page Six, Lathan had no comment while, Babcock simply hung up on them.
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