Rifts

Report: Leno May Ditch NBC

Ex-Tonight Show host "furious" with network

Apparently hell hath no fury like a late-night host scorned. One day after Conan O’Brien issued a blistering statement criticizing NBC for its planned re-scheduling of The Tonight Show, insiders say that Jay Leno is also “furious” with the network for its sloppy handling of the situation. “They have put Jay in a terrible position. It looks like he is the reason that Conan is now without a job,” said a source. “Jay is a great guy and it's not fair that due to NBC's stupidity he looks like the bad guy.” Spokesmen for Leno deny the reports, but the source says that Leno is also worried about losing his audience in a move to his former 11:35 time slot. “How can he possibly trust the same network that canceled Conan after only seven months?” the source said.