George Clooney was allegedly enraged when “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski implied Barack Obama was behind his New York Times op-ed calling for former President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 race.
Author Chris Whipple alleged in his new book, “Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History,” and journalist Tara Palmeri’s Substack newsletter, “The Red Letter,” that Clooney, 63, called one of the MSNBC’s show’s producers, with whom he is friendly, and had a meltdown over the segment.
“His phone lit up and it’s George Clooney — a good friend of his — and Clooney went absolutely ballistic,” Whipple claimed. “What ensued was an exchange of F-bombs for, you know, several minutes.”
George Clooney was allegedly furious over Mika Brzezinski’s comments about his New York Times op-ed on “Morning Joe.” Toronto Star via Getty Images
In the piece, Clooney wrote in favor of former President Joe Biden stepping down from the 2024 race. X/Chris Jackson
The author alleged that the “Ocean’s Eleven” star was “apoplectic” that Brzezinski, 57, had suggested on the air that Obama, 63, “put him up to” the op-ed and nobody had “challenged” the host on her belief.
Brzezinski’s exact words during the July 11, 2024 show were, “This wasn’t George Clooney. … I think that Barack Obama has a lot of influence, and I think that there’s, there’s a lot there.”
Palmeri, quoting Whipple’s book, went on to share the alleged exchange that occurred on the heated call.
Brzezinsk said on the MSNBC show, “This wasn’t George Clooney. … I think that Barack Obama has a lot of influence.” MSNBC
Author Chris Whipple alleged Clooney was “apoplectic” over the claim that Obama had “put him up to” the op-ed.
“‘You [f–ked] me. You’re my friend. You should have stood up for me,’” Clooney allegedly told the MSNBC producer, whose name Whipple declined to expose.
The “Morning Joe” staffer reportedly responded, “‘George, it’s just not a movie, where you go script page to script page,’” prompting the “Batman & Robin” star to allegedly hit back, “‘F–k you.’”
Whipple claimed the producer then responded, “‘[F–k] yourself,’” which Palmeri, 37, praised.
The journalist said, “I’ve got to give it to the producer. Not a lot of them would probably shout back at an A-list actor like that.”
Whipple, seen here, alleged that Clooney called an unnamed “Morning Joe” producer multiple times to sound off on the segment.
“What ensued was an exchange of F-bombs for, you know, several minutes,” the author claimed. Getty Images
Further reading from Whipple’s book, she stated that Clooney allegedly called the producer back a second time because he was “so angry.”
“‘This is a morning talk show on a cable channel. Nobody gives a [f–k] if we say if [Biden] should get out or if he should stay in,’” the producer then allegedly told the “Up in the Air” star, trying to downplay the ordeal.
“‘Nobody [f–king] cares. It’s sky-writing. It’s [f–king] gone. George, I told you before. We’ll try and take care of it tomorrow morning. I promise you.’”
Host Tara Palmeri told Whipple, “Doesn’t sound like the cool George Clooney that we know.”
Clooney has yet to respond to Whipple’s allegations. Getty Images
Clooney allegedly responded, though, by saying, “‘I don’t know whether I trust you,’” which really pissed off the producer, who then allegedly replied, “‘Well, [f–k] you if you don’t trust me. Stop [f–king] calling me.’”
Palmeri concluded, “Doesn’t sound like the cool George Clooney that we know.”