What To Know
- Scott Jennings mockingly addressed reports that Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas were “furious” after he “dismantled” their son Dylan Douglas during a CNN debate.
- Jennings discussed the incident on Meghan McCain’s podcast, expressing surprise at the couple’s reaction.
- Both Jennings and McCain reflected on the challenges faced by “nepo babies” in media, with Jennings suggesting Dylan was unaccustomed to tough conservative debate.
CNN’s Scott Jennings mockingly offered to apologize to Catherine Zeta-Jones after reports that she and her husband, Michael Douglas, were “furious” after he “dismantled” their son on-air.
Dylan Douglas, the 25-year-old son of the Hollywood couple, appeared on CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip last month, where he was left stammering amid a showdown with Jennings, the show’s conservative commentator. According to gossip columnist Rob Shuter, the debate left Zeta-Jones and Michael “fuming.”
“They are fuming at CNN. Like, I’m talking full-on, ‘never again, blacklist the whole network’ levels of furious,” Shuter wrote on his Substack blog.
Jennings addressed the drama on the latest episode of Meghan McCain‘s Citizen McCain podcast, bragging about how he “dismantled” the couple’s “nepo-baby” son. He also admitted he was “surprised” the debate infuriated Zeta-Jones and Michael so much.
“Well, I was surprised,” Jennings said, per Mediaite, before quipping, “I’m more than willing to apologize personally to Catherine Zeta-Jones over a nice seafood dinner if she wants to do it.”
McCain also shared her thoughts, referring to herself as “the queen of nepo babies” due to her father, the late Sen. John McCain. The former View co-host said Dylan “should not have been booked on a show with [Jennings] because it’s like bringing a knife to a gun fight.”
“I have been put on TV way too early as a nepo baby,” she continued. “And of all people, Paul Begala schooled the living s*** out of me on the one and only time I went on Bill Maher. I have been Dylan Douglas. But what didn’t happen is, my parents didn’t have a meltdown. My dad was like, ‘Buck up and move on.’”
Despite the heated on-air debate, Jennings said Dylan “was really nice off the air” and “honored to be there.”
“We had what is relatively a normal exchange. He made his Democratic talking points. I dismantled him. Not an uncommon thing to happen on CNN,” Jennings shared.
After reiterating that he was surprised by Dylan’s parents’ reaction, Jennings explained, “I think that what happens with some of these folks is that they exist in a very tight little bubble. They never really talk to Republicans or conservatives. They don’t really get outside of their bubble where people tell them how smart and good-looking they are.”
He concluded, “And then they wind up on television with someone of a different persuasion, and it’s surprising to them.”