JD Says: Kiran Says

What really sparked John Roberts’ infamous rant against Kiran Chetry, his co-host on CNN’s American Morning? On September 8, 2010, JD infamously berated an off-camera Kiran during his interview with President Obama’s smirking senior advisor, David Axelrod. Carpe Diem reported the story that day; Mediaite ran with it (with vid) about a week later; consequently, other media outlets (e.g., Huffington Post, Gawker, and TV Guide) picked it up, and, subsequently, it went viral. However, no one reported what Kiran had done to set off JD’s rant.

This morning, JD (now FNC’s senior national correspondent) provided his version  of the “infamous incident” during a telephone interview with FBN’s Don Imus. Succinctly, Imus asked, “Was it your co-host, one? And what was she doing?” JD stuttered, “Well, well, well, that, that morning, I was wearing a particularly lovely shade of, of plum nail polish and there had been a chip that had developed in it when I had whacked my finger on the desk, and she was trying to fix the chip in my nail polish. Explaining his errant behavior, JD continued, “And, I thought that interviewing David Axelrod, that was not an appropriate time to be fixing my nail polish. So I just said, ‘Would you mind waiting until I’m [sic] done this and then you can go ahead.'” [Vid via Mediaite.]

However, Kiran gave a completely different story during her interview with Mediaite‘s Tommy Christopher on February 18. When Christopher rather reluctantly queried her about “that clip,” she stammered, “I was, oh, um, it was just, I think it was a little bit overblown:  This is why I love you bloggers because one moment in time gets, you know, immortalized forever.” Then, putting her hands over her computer keyboard as if reenacting the scene, Kiran continued, “But, we were dealing with some breaking news: he was doing an interview and I was typing. And, I guess that got a little annoying.” Later, Christopher confidently commented, “Well, I’m glad that we could set the record straight.”

But, did Christopher and Kiran really “set the record straight”? JD certainly does not seem to think so.

TJ: Kiran, You Wanna Listen to Me?

Holmes: a “gentler, kinder” Roberts. Today, almost six months ago to the day, American Morning co-host John Roberts infamously berated Kiran Chetry for typing (off-camera) during his interview of President Obama’s senior advisor David Axelrod. This morning, it appeared to be AM interim co-anchor T. J. Holmes’ time to rant.

Shortly, before mid-show, Kiran and T. J. started to take turns reading the headline news stories. After Kiran reported the first one, T.J. began to read the next one. As he did, a still on-camera Kiran started to type on her computer keyboard.* Almost immediately, T. J. stopped and looked over at Kiran: Tapping her on the arm repeatedly, he exclaimed, “Hey, hey! Wait! What are you doing?”

In an embarrassing moment of deja vu, Kiran’s eyes suddenly widened and she glanced back at T. J. uncertainly. Breaking into a broad grin, T. J. pointed to the camera and chuckled, “One, one is trying to tell your story here, Kiran.” As she sheepishly laughed, T.J. teased, ” You want to listen to me?” Kiran simply smiled and looked ahead.

AM‘s Southern gentleman: You did your momma proud today, T. J.

*American Morning – 03/07/11 (@ 7:20 a.m. ET)

Update: AM producers apparently took note, too: When asked today (March 10) “why no more laptops on [the AM] desk,” Kiran aptly answered, “[L]ooked messy they said.” At least, on two occasions, supra.

AM Amnesia: Kiran & John’s “Bad Dream”

Nothing happened between us: really! Today American Morning co-hosts Kiran Chetry and John Roberts treated their viewers as if they had been slipped an extra powerful “roofie” and could not recall not only last night but also almost the entire two full weeks earlier. Back together for the first time since the video of Roberts sniping at Chetry on camera truly went viral, both co-hosts acted as if John’s odd behavior had been merely a bad dream (a la Dallas). But, for the AM acolytes suffering from that “amorous amnesia,” Carpe Diem is happy to jog their memory.

As the author first reported almost two weeks ago (September 8), Roberts appeared to brusquely rebuke Chetry on air while he was doing an interview with David Axelrod, President Obama’s senior adviser. The very next day everything seemed to be reasonably civil between Roberts and Chetry but thereafter both of them did not appear together again on AM until today. In the meantime, the strange episode went viral as Mediaite‘s Steve Krakauer seized the story and it consequently reverberated throughout the media outlets, e.g., Huffington Post, Gawker, and, yes, even the staid TV Guide.

Giving the story even more prominence, Chetry’s former Fox News colleague Juliet Huddy added her two cents on Red Eye. When asked by host Greg Gutfeld about the incident, Huddy opined, “I knew Kiran; we used to work together; [and] I like Kiran a lot. She is a very energetic, hyper girl. She was probably either texting or something like that because she’s very hyper.”* Not wanting to appear malevolent, Juliet animatedly concluded, “And, I love her. I do love her.” Then taking a stab at Roberts, Huddy exclaimed, “I can’t believe he did that. Unprofessional!”

Perhaps, most notably, Chetry’s husband, Chris Knowles, weighed in on the matter. When a Twitter follower asked, “Did you catch JR snapping at your wife this morning?,” Knowles tersely responded, “Noticed and no comment.”

Carpe Diem noticed, too, but did comment. And, now, so have many of the other media watchers. Apparently, AM, like Chetry’s spouse, remains mulishly mute, too timorous to remember more.

*Red Eye – 09/17/10 (@3:18 a.m. ET)

Crusty John: 2 Curt 2 Kiran?

Apparently, not rested enough from his Labor Day vacation, American Morning co-anchor John Roberts appeared to snap this morning at his co-host Kiran Chetry. After Kiran read a headline news story to his left, John began his preview to his interview with David Axelrod, President Obama’s senior advisor. Immediately before Axelrod appeared on screen, John glanced down to his left in ire but continued his introduction. After he then thanked Axelrod for his appearance (in a split-screen shot with Axelrod), John’s jaw suddenly tensed and his eyes blinked as he started his query. Mid-sentence, he again looked to his left and brusquely remarked, “Excuse me. Would, would you mind stop–not doing that while I’m talking? Thank you. Appreciate that.”  As if in feigned apology, he added, “If you don’t mind.” Meanwhile, Axelrod looked on in bemusement and chuckled to himself.

John must have had some holiday. Perhaps, paradoxically, he needs a vacation after his vacation. Take a good nap, John: Kiran and Kyra will thank you.

American Morning – 09/08/10 (@7:08 a.m. ET)