A Canadian journalist was determined to get a photo with Anderson Cooper on Wednesday, even if the CNN host was in Ottawa to report on a tragedy that had taken place only hours earlier. That was a bad idea.
“So you really won’t, you won’t even take a photo?” the journalist Vandon Gene asked Cooper, who was in the Canadian capital to report on the shooting that left a soldier and the gunman both dead.
“No, I will not take a photo with you on a day where someone was killed,” Anderson responded. “It seems wildly inappropriate.”
Gene, whose LinkedIn page identifies him as a contributor for Canada’s Sun News Network, was shocked.
“Wow,” he said. “Alright. Thanks a lot, Anderson. I tried.”
Gene continued to voice his displeasure with Cooper in a series of since-deleted tweets late Wednesday.
“So @andersoncooper is an ass,” Gene tweeted. “Told me to give him a ‘fucking break’ then went on a rant.”
Cooper responded in kind.
“@vandongene dude, you were rude and asking for a selfie near where a soldier was killed. It was completely inappropriate. Think about it,” Cooper said.
By Thursday morning, however, Gene had experienced a change of heart, taking to Twitter once again to offer an apology for his “completely inappropriate, disrespectful, and distasteful” actions.
I unreservedly apologize for my actions yesterday. It was completely inappropriate, disrespectful, and distasteful.
— Vandon Gene (@vandongene) October 23, 2014
Again, I unreservedly apologize for my actions yesterday. It was completely inappropriate, disrespectful, and distasteful. @andersoncooper
— Vandon Gene (@vandongene) October 23, 2014
