Everything you need to know about TMZ reporter Van Lathan
Van Lathan is a podcast host of “Van Lathan’s The Red Pill”, and a former TMZ senior producer whose ticket to fame was his much publicized disagreement with Kanye West’s “slavery was a choice” commentary, broadcast live on national TV.
Early life and family
Of Afro-American ethnicity, Van Lathan was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA on April 16, 1980 to his parents Terry and Christal Ellis; he has a younger sister, Ebony Rage Lathan. Even as a young child, he was known to be outspoken and confident in speaking his mind. From one of his TV interviews, he said it was his mother who made him feel it was okay to be whoever he wanted to be, and that his father demanded that he become “someone.”
TMZ fires Van Lathan after heated debate over politics http://dlvr.it/RGkgsY
Posted by Baller Warning on Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Educational background
No specific details are available about his school records except that he graduated from college in 2003 majoring in Political Science and Creative Writing.
Career
First steps
After college, Lathan began his career as a tour guide for the popular TMZ Celebrity Tour, taking tourists around Hollywood’s major iconic places while riding a TMZ-modified bus. He was part of the team that developed the concept of the tour, which covers a 30-mile area around Beverly Hills and Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Further success
In 2011, TMZ founder and host Harvey Robert Levin was impressed with Lathan’s work and decided to include him in the television show. He started at the bottom with field camera duties, dabbled in sports journalism and then worked his way up to senior producer.
Confrontation with Kanye West
Van Lathan became an overnight sensation in 2018, when American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur Kanye West asked the staff of TMZ TV if he thought and felt free when he made the infamous “400 years of slavery was a choice”- commentary made live on national television. TV.
Lathan got up and went on express his disappointment to Kanye’s statement, saying, “As you make music and be an artist and live the life you’ve earned by being a genius, the rest of us in society are dealing with these threats to our lives.” He said the African-American community had no choice. He was obviously incredibly upset and disheartened that Kanye “turned into something that isn’t real.” Lathan gained much love and support by speaking passionately and eloquently about his views. The live TV showdown with Kanye opened more doors for Lathan, with numerous guest appearances on TV and radio.
The red pill podcast
Overloaded with ideas and opinions, Van Lathan decided to produce his own weekly podcast in addition to the TMZ show he was doing. The business of television limits the topics that can be discussed, so the podcast is the perfect place for Lathan to convey his views with more diversity. The “Van Lathan’s The Red Pill” is aptly named, as it was inspired by the concept of the red pill in Keanu Reeves’ blockbuster, “The Matrix,” which refers to awakening to the brutal realities of the world we live in. all in.
TMZ layoff
In October 2019, Van Lathan was fired from TMZ after a heated political debate with colleague Michael Bobcock; the newsroom argument was removed from the TMZ Live show.
Apparently, Lathan confronted Bobcock telling him not to embarrass him again. There was a lot of speculation about why he was fired immediately – one theory was that Lathan put Bobcock in a chokehold during the argument. Another was that Harvey Robert Levin was a supporter of Trump and that Lathan was highly critical of the president. No official statement has been released by TMZ. Lathan just assured his supporters through his social media accounts that he is fine.
Currently, people can watch him through his weekly podcast ‘Van Lathan’s The Red Pill’. He recently joined Bill Simmons’ media company called The Ringer and develops new shows with them.
Private life
Van Lathan may be outspoken and generous in sharing his views, but when it comes to his personal life, he is very private. Little is known if he is single, married or just in a complicated relationship. He occasionally mentioned his father and mother in his interviews, but with few details. His stubbornness often did not sit well with his father, and there was a time when he was not on good terms with him. His mother, on the other hand, is very supportive of him not only with his life choices but also with his chosen career.
Interesting facts
Lathan is very active on social media, regularly using both Twitter and Instagram to raise awareness of social issues and interact with his followers, but he rarely mentions his family.
He has about 130,000 followers on Twitter and about 430,000 on Instagram.
He likes to watch mafia movies and television series. He likes Al Pacino’s “Scarface”, but thinks “The Godfather” is better quality. He also prefers “The Wire” to “Breaking Bad”, but he no doubt thinks “Sopranos” is much better then the two.
Appearance and weight loss
Van Lathan has black hair and black eyes. He went through a weight loss journey that continues to inspire many people. He had a moment of revelation when he felt his heart rate go up just because he was struggling to get out of his car.
He weighed himself at a Walmart store with a 300-pound scale, only to see it do a 180-degree turn and stop at 50 pounds. Unconvinced of the scale’s efficiency, he made his way to a GNC store to weigh himself again. It appeared that it weighs about 365 pounds (165 kg) and with a height of 1.9 m, he was overweight. He decided to do something about it, and now that he has adopted a healthy lifestyle, he weighs about 83 kg.
Wealth and salary
Since he has been in the entertainment business for a while now, he has accumulated quite a hefty net worth in early 2020, estimated at over $2 million. Some sources speculate that his annual income is at least $80,000, especially now that he is producing his own podcast and making money from it.
Contents
