Don Lemon Holds Down 'CNN This Morning' In NYC Without Co-Anchor Kaitlan Collins After He 'Screamed' At Her In Front Of Staffers
Don Lemon had his day in the studio without Katilan Collins. The 56-year-old CNN This Morning star appeared relaxed and cheery running the show alongside Poppy Harlow and without Collins just days after his blowup on his co-anchor, 30, was revealed.
RadarOnline.com has discovered that while Don and Poppy informed viewers of the biggest news stories in New York on Tuesday, Collins — CNN's youngest chief White House Correspondent — was away on assignment at Capitol Hill.
Insiders tell RadarOnline.com that Collins' Washington D.C. assignment "has been in place for weeks" and "Don and Poppy will join her there for tomorrow’s broadcast" as CNN ramps up its special State of the Union coverage.
On Monday, Lemon and Collins sat awkwardly next to each other at the co-anchor table, marking their first reunion since Don's bad behavior made headlines. Viewers noticed the tension — and the following day, Collins was over 200 miles away.
"Kaitlan wants to be on set with Don as little as possible," an insider shared, adding the situation is "messy."
"It's good that you're coming together for these serious matters, but there's definitely palpable cold tension in that studio," one person tweeted after Monday's show. "@donlemon still thinks he has his own show. tension is massive. How long before it’s just @PoppyHarlowCNN @kaitlancollins maybe he could join the view? Or doesn’t abc need a host," a second chimed in.
As RadarOnline.com reported last week, Lemon "screamed" at Collins following their December 8 broadcast, accusing her of "interrupting" him. The heated altercation left Collins "visibly upset" and CNN staffers "shaken."
Sources told Page Six that Collins "ran out of the studio" after Lemon's temper tantrum.
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We're told Lemon had a second blowup, losing it on CNN staffers after a story about his altercation with Collins was featured in the company newsletter.
"Don lost his mind internally and went ballistic at staffers after the CNN newsletter highlighted a story about him screaming," one well-placed source spilled on Friday.
RadarOnline.com also heard that Lemon's boss, Chris Licht, wasn't happy when he found out about the fight with Collins. According to insiders, Licht had a producer tell Lemon to take the day and "cool off."
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Neither Lemon nor Collins addressed the feud. As for CNN, the network declined to comment on the incident, instead stating, “In just three months, these anchors have created a compelling morning show that breaks news and drives the conversation.”
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