Van Lathan, Host Of ‘Red Pill’ Podcast, Fired From TMZ After Newsroom Spat With Michael Babcock. Video Disputes Chokehold Claims
A video that appears to show the “confrontation” with Michael Babcock that led to popular TMZ personality Van Lathan being fired has surfaced, reported Page Six. Reports made it seem as if Lathan got violent after confronting Babcock about “embarrassing” him after they disagreed during a TMZ Live segment. The video seems to dispute that.
In the video, Lathan approaches Babcock and places his hands on the back of his neck while leaning in to whisper in his ear. Babcock doesn’t look happy with whatever Lathan is saying and attempts to move his hand. However, the contact is far from a violent “chokehold.”
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A former senior news producer for the show, Lathan rose to prominence last year when he famously confronted Kanye West for his slavery was “a choice” comments. He has been called “arguably the most compelling TMZ personality” by the Daily Beast.
On Oct. 21, Lathan tweeted the next day was likely “going to suck.” Then news of his firing broke and people began heavily weighing in. In response, Lathan tweeted, “I’m okay. Promise you guys. Seriously.”
Lathan also hosts the “Red Pill” podcast where the Soundcloud description says he “serves up a weekly dose of truth, sonically force feeding listeners the red pill, and NEVER apologizing.”
He’s received an outpouring of support from fans and followers. Some said they would no longer watch TMZ because Lathan was their only reason for tuning in. Others said Lathan’s firing was racist and even called for a boycott of the popular entertainment news site.