CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who is set to moderate the Democratic Party’s first major presidential primary debate in less than a month, was spanked on stage at a Madonna concert over the weekend.
A video posted online, reportedly shot at a New York concert on Saturday, shows Cooper on stage dancing before he is bent over by the singer and spanked several times.
At one point in the video, Cooper raises both of his middle fingers to the audience.
It was reported last week that Cooper would moderate the first Democratic presidential debate on Oct. 13. The event will come nearly a month after CNN hosted a Republican debate, which was moderated by anchor Jake Tapper.
Some colleagues of Cooper, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not seem bothered by his racy behavior.
“Whatever he chooses to do on Saturday night is, well, his choice,” said one CNN producer who works closely on the network’s national political coverage. “I imagine there are worse breaches of decorum.”
One of CNN’s on-air contributors was also unfazed. “I don’t see the connection between one thing and the other,” the source said.
A spokesperson for the DNC told the Washington Examiner media desk, “I, of course, have no comment.”
A spokesperson for CNN did not return a request for comment.
