The new Apple+ TV show The Morning Show [1] may seem too wild to be real, but TBH, the real-life world of morning talk shows is even stranger than fiction. Based on Brian Stelter's 2013 book, Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV, the series — which stars Jennifer Aniston [2], Reese Witherspoon [3], and Steve Carell [4], among many others — revolves around a popular NYC-based morning news program and the sexual misconduct scandal that threatens to dismantle the whole show. The series is closer to reality than you may realize, and if you're not convinced, just check out the most controversial morning show scandals of all time.
Star Jones's Exit From The View in June 2006
If you recall, Star Jones was one of the original hosts of The View — along with Meredith Vieira, Debbie Matenopoulos, Joy Behar, and creator Barbara Walters — when the morning talk show debuted in 1997. The all-female panel discusses current events, including sociopolitical and entertainment news, and the show has also caused a fair share of its own entertainment news over the years. One of the biggest scandals that plagued the show: the unexpected departure of Jones in 2006.
The trouble started when the attorney and TV personality discovered in April 2006 that her contract would not be renewed [6] for the following season, as ABC believed her penchant for product placement was turning off viewers. Walters and the producers arranged for Jones to announce her impending departure at the end of June, but Jones instead broke the news on air two days prior to the scheduled date. Blindsided, Walters publicly claimed that she felt "betrayed" [7] by Jones for going rogue. Jones wouldn't make another appearance on the show for nearly six years, when she was invited to appear as a guest [8] in February 2012.
Rosie O'Donnell and Elisabeth Hasselbeck's On-Air Argument on The View in May 2007
Star Jones's scandalous exit wasn't the only drama that rocked The View. Less than a year after Jones left the show, cohosts Rosie O'Donnell [9] (who joined in 2006) and Elisabeth Hasselbeck (who joined in 2003) got into a contentious on-air argument about the Iraq War. The two women rarely shared the same view — political or otherwise — and Hasselbeck was known as a polarizing figure ever since she joined the show, so it was a recipe for disaster when the war in Iraq became a topic of discussion.
Hasselbeck was already on shaky ground after she and Walters went head-to-head [10] about the FDA's decision to sell emergency contraception as an over-the-counter drug in August 2006. Notorious conservative Hasselbeck opposed the morning-after pill in any circumstances, and in May 2007, she opposed O'Donnell's critique of the war [11]. The unedited blowout went from political to personal, and O'Donnell subsequently made the decision to leave the show. Hasselback stayed on the show until 2013, when it was rumored that producers opted not to renew her contract [12].
Ann Curry's Firing From Today in June 2012
One of the biggest scandals in morning talk show history — and a big focus of Brian Stelter's 2013 book — was Ann Curry's controversial firing from Today after she served as a cohost for just under a year. According to Stelter and insiders, Curry was ostracized and criticized [13] throughout her short time as cohost and was only ever used as leverage to keep NBC money maker Matt Lauer from leaving Today.
Rumors starting swirling after former cohost Meredith Vieira announced her departure from Today nearly three months before the end of her contract [14]. After Curry unwillingly left the show, it eventually came to light that Lauer was complicit in orchestrating both departures. Lauer's contract was set to expire at the end of 2012, and producers feared Curry becoming a competitor — until Curry was invited to cohost, and Lauer decided that he didn't feel any chemistry. "Ann Curry was a dead woman walking," Stelter wrote in his book. "She was never really given a chance to cohost the show. She was being undermined the whole time."
The Talk Cohost Sharon Osbourne's Remarks About The View in November 2013
Sometimes, drama on The View was even caused by competing morning shows. In 2013, The Talk cohost Sharon Osbourne announced her distaste for all the panelists of The View, save for Barbara Walters, whom she admired. The controversial comments were made during an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show with her fellow panelists from The Talk when Hall asked about the difference between her CBS talkshow and ABC's The View.
Osbourne's cohost Julie Chen initially tried to explain the difference [15] with some diplomacy, but Osbourne interrupted. "Stop being polite. Cut to the f*cking chase," she said. "This is the situation. The situation is . . . Barbara: idolize her, divine, she is superhuman. I love Barbara Walters. The rest can go f*ck themselves." A few days later, Osbourne apologized [16], calling herself "a loose cannon."
Michael Strahan's Departure From Live! With Kelly and Michael in April 2016
Remember when Live! With Kelly and Michael became just Live! With Kelly? Everyone was pretty shocked by the news — and apparently, so was Kelly Ripa [17]. After four years of cohosting alongside Ripa, who had served as a host since 2001, Michael Strahan's sudden exit from the show to join Good Morning America was anything but smooth. That was probably due to the fact that Ripa received the same internal memo [18] sent out to all of ABC about Strahan's leaving at the same time as everyone else.
Ripa took some time off from the show after receiving the news, later telling People that she felt disrespected [19] by how the news was handled. "When you're dealing with big business, it's easy to forget that you're dealing with people and that people have feelings," she said. Two years later, Strahan asserted that he had made the best decision for himself [20] and his career and didn't have any regrets. "There's nothing I would have done differently," he told E! News.
Billy Bush's Firing From Today in October 2016
Yet another Today scandal: Billy Bush's firing after that infamous 2005 Access Hollywood segment with now-President Donald Trump [21] leaked. Just weeks before the 2016 presidential election, the hot mic audio from the segment was released, in which Trump could be heard making offensive comments [22] about soap opera star Arianna Zucker. He also bragged about kissing and groping women against their consent while Bush laughed and encouraged him to continue.
Bush had just transitioned from Access Hollywood to Today when the vulgar tape was released, and just a few months after joining the team, Bush was let go. He apologized for his behavior [23], but the damage was already done. "Obviously I'm embarrassed and ashamed," Bush said in a statement. "It's no excuse, but this happened 11 years ago — I was younger, less mature, and acted foolishly in playing along. I'm very sorry."
Steve Harvey's Leaked Memos in May 2017
Steve Harvey was no stranger to scandal before an offensive memo sent to his staff was leaked in 2017. In 2015, Harvey came under fire for a misogynistic taping [24] of The Steve Harvey Show in Chicago. Earlier in 2017, he was again criticized for poking fun at Asian men [25] on his show. Any fans who had yet to question his on-air persona could no longer ignore the stories after one of his staff memos was leaked on blogger Robert Feder's Chicago-based media blog [26].
The gist of the memo: leave Harvey alone. Among the many directives made in the memo, Harvey wrote, "Do not come to my dressing room unless invited," and "Do not approach me while I'm in the makeup chair unless I ask to speak with you directly." Soon after the memo was leaked, Harvey opted skip his show's wrap party [27], and production of his show was moved from Chicago to LA with a new crew.
Matt Lauer's Firing From Today in November 2017
Longtime Today host Matt Lauer was fired by NBC News chairman Andrew Lack after multiple women came forward with accusations of sexual misconduct. Within days of confirming that Lauer sexually harassed a female NBC staffer during the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 (and after several other similar tales surfaced), Lauer was let go — despite having a year and a half left in his $20-million-a-year contract [28]. Claims of inappropriate behavior even dated back as far as 2006, when Lauer was rumored to have had an affair [29] with fellow anchor Natalie Morales while covering the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.
Soon after his speedy dismissal, Lauer released an apologetic statement [30], though he still denied the accuracy of all the allegations. "There are no words to express my sorrow and regret for the pain I have caused others by words and actions. To the people I have hurt, I am truly sorry," he said. "As I am writing this I realize the depth of the damage and disappointment I have left behind at home and at NBC. Some of what is being said about me is untrue or mischaracterized, but there is enough truth in these stories to make me feel embarrassed and ashamed. I regret that my shame is now shared by the people I cherish dearly." He was then replaced by colleague Hoda Kotb [31].
Megyn Kelly's Blackface Comments on Megyn Kelly Today in October 2018
Former Fox News anchor and host of NBC's Megyn Kelly Today is also a morning talk show host who knows controversy all too well. Five years after asserting that Santa is white on The Kelly File (and then later claiming she meant it as a joke [32]), Kelly defended wearing blackface makeup while celebrating Halloween [33] during a Megyn Kelly Today segment.
The talk show host claimed that she didn't see the harm in blackface [34], as long as it was done under the guise of playing a role. "When I was a kid, that was OK just as long as you were dressing as character," she said. Though she later apologized in an email to staffers and then read an apologetic statement on air, NBC canceled Megyn Kelly Today [35] only one year into Kelly's three-year contract.
Lara Spencer Mocks Prince George on GMA in August 2019
During a Good Morning America segment, the subject of young Prince George starting prep school came up, and cohost Lara Spencer gleefully announced that — among many other pursuits — George would be taking ballet classes [36]. While smirking, Spencer added, "Prince William said Prince George absolutely loves ballet . . . I have news for you, Prince William — we'll see how long that lasts." Naturally, many viewers (especially those in the male dance community) were incensed by the sarcastic comment.
In response to the backlash (and the incredible 300-person flashmob [37] that gathered in Times Square in protest), Spencer took to Instagram [38] to issue a statement. Alongside a picture of lilacs sprouting with a mountain range in the background, Spencer wrote, "My sincere apologies for an insensitive comment I made in pop news yesterday. From ballet to anything one wants to explore in life, I say GO FOR IT. I fully believe we should all be free to pursue our passions. Go climb your mountain — and love every minute of it."