
Vanity Fair distanced itself from journalist Kurt Eichenwald on Tuesday after he called a Parkland, Fla., shooting survivor "in desperate need of psychiatric help" in a series of emails that were published on Twitter.
In emails to conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, Eichenwald described himself as a contributing editor at Vanity Fair — a claim that set off a firestorm of criticism for the magazine after Eichenwald's emails criticizing the Parkland student were published. But Eichenwald has not appeared on the magazine's masthead for more than a year, with his last piece for the publication running online in 2014, according to a Vanity Fair source.
Shapiro shared the exchange with Eichenwald with his 1.29 million followers on Twitter.
"I just received this from @kurteichenwald. There are no words for how wild this email is. @VanityFair is apparently an odd place," wrote Shapiro as a caption to the email exchange.
I just received this from @kurteichenwald. There are no words for how wild this email is. @VanityFair is apparently an odd place.I just received this from @kurteichenwald. There are no words for how wild this email is. @VanityFair is apparently an odd place. pic.twitter.com/Ik1bfjoKyl
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) April 3, 2018
Hell of a way to find out. I have been a contributing editor - contracted freelancer - with Vanity Fair for 6 years. I live in Dallas & have not been in contact with the new editor in charge. My contract expired and was not renewed. Called my friends there - all of them gone too.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) April 3, 2018
For those - like @benshapiro - who are taking my entire situation with @KyleKashuv to push a lie (I thought he was someone else) - stop going after @MSNBC. My contributor contact with them expired more than a month ago. Not with them. Need to edit my profile.
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) March 30, 2018
“I consulted a friend of mine who is a psychiatrist – a political conservative, since that seems so important to you – and based on what he read, the psychiatrist said the following,” Eichenwald wrote to Shapiro. “Kyle is in desperate need of psychiatric help or support.”