CBS Catfight: Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell 'Stabbing Each Other in The Back' in Desperate Grab for Power at News Network
The two are said to be feuding over the title of CBS News Queen.
Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell have their claws out in an alleged battle for supremacy after controversial CBS News President Neeraj Khemlani left in disgrace, RadarOnline.com has learned.
"They both see this as an opportunity to become the undisputed queen of CBS News," a source snitched.
Gayle and Norah have allegedly not been close since 2019.
Neither gal was particularly close with Khemlani, who was forced to undergo HR training during his two-year tenure after being accused of launching a rude and disrespectful tirade at two top female executives, tipsters tattled to the National Enquirer.
"They each see his departure as a way to impress his replacement — who has not been named — and establish their dominance," the source spilled.
The colleagues once shared a screen as co-anchors on CBS This Morning — but sources snitched the rivals haven't been close since 2019, when O'Donnell, 49, was tapped to helm the network's Evening News.
However, insiders told the National Enquirer that anemic viewership caused bosses to allegedly slash Norah's salary by more than $5 million last year. They also claimed her diva-like attitude has alienated staffers and executives alike.
Norah has been called out for her alleged "diva-like" behavior.
King, 68, is still ruling the morning roost — but her show regularly languishes in third place in the ratings behind Good Morning America and Today. Spies claimed the journalist is also resented by the rank and file for her alleged bloated $11 million annual paycheck.
According to the source, nitpicking Norah and ambitious Gayle are "each playing a game of chess" and "stabbing each other in the back whenever they can!"
But the mole added that "given their audience numbers, they might both end up losers!"
RadarOnline.com has reached out to CBS for comment.
- Gayle King’s $12 Million Per Year CNN Contact Infuriates Network Employees: ‘Everyone Has Been Told There’s No Money’
- 'Nobody Wants To Deal With Her': Norah O’Donnell’s Salary CUT By More Than Half At Struggling ‘CBS Evening News’
- ‘Livid’ Norah O’Donnell Demanded Loyalty Pledge From Executives, ‘Begrudgingly’ Received It In Wake Of ‘Toxic’ Workplace Claims
CBS staffers were reportedly angry about Gayle's salary bump after the network's major layoffs.
Khemlani stepped away from his position earlier this month after a controversial two-year reign. “(I am) looking forward to slipping my reporter’s notebook back into my pocket and heading out on a new adventure,” he said in a memo to staffers weeks ago. However, he's not out of CBS altogether — despite his bully reputation.
Per The Post, Khemlani will seek to develop content in a new multi-year deal with the network.
CBS CEO George Cheeks spoke about Khemlani's exit, alleging they had spoken about “his potential transition for some time.”
O'Donnell was under fire for her inaccurate tweet, in which she falsely claimed the Department of Justice was not in possession of Donald Trump’s passports.
“According to a DOJ official, the FBI is NOT in possession of former President Trump’s passports,” O’Donnell wrote in August 2022. “Trump had accused the FBI of stealing his three passports during the search of his Mar-a-Lago home.”
Shortly after O’Donnell’s tweet, Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich confirmed that FBI agents did confiscate three of the former president’s passports when they raided Mar-a-Lago.
Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free.
Norah faced backlash after tweeting that the FBI did not confiscate Trump's passport during the Mar-a-Lago raid.
As for King, she found herself in hot water after scoring a massive $12 million payday after the struggling network's massive job cut. Sources told RadarOnline.com that her bump in pay infuriated longtime employees at CBS.
“Everyone has been told there’s no money, yet they’re managing to scrape up cash to pay Gayle King,” an insider said in April. “It’s incredibly tone-deaf, as well as being rude to the hard-working people who’ve been toiling here for years!”
Powered by RedCircle