A Los Angeles news reporter went on a bizarre, booze-loving, heartbroken rant during a live chopper broadcast of local “No Kings” protests Saturday, attracting both concern and laughter from viewers.
Stu Mundel, a longtime helicopter reporter for Fox 11 Los Angeles, had a live therapy session about his separation from his wife and feelings for bourbon as he began flying over downtown Culver City to cover the slew of anti-Trump protests there, according to the live stream posted to YouTube.
“You know, I don’t care about my … I, uh, I am married. I am legally married. I am legally married. That’s about the only way you can really say it,” the quirky newsman muttered into the mic after a viewer asked about his relationship status.
The seasoned reporter went on to reveal that he was actually separated from his wife and was not “looking for someone to date” because of “debacles” in his personal life.
“I got nothing right now. I got nothing … not really looking … I’m trying to find myself and be happy,” Mundel rambled. “I’m being serious about that. I want to be beholden to no one at this moment.
“I want to be beholden to no one at this point. Do I get lonely? Of course. But I got cats,” he said, before breaking into a laugh.
Mundel’s personal musings prompted some of the roughly 5,000 people tuning into the live stream to question if booze was involved in his on-air confessional.
Mundel acknowledged at one point, “I love bourbon.
“I do. I do love the bourbon. I love the whiskey. I love the bourbon. Love the gin. Do love the gin. Alright, kids, we’re making our way to Torrance.”
As viewers bombarded him with complaints about not seeing enough protest action, Mundel snapped at one of them, “Yes, Paloma, I know! It’s not a magic carpet.
“I can do a lot of things, but I can’t bend space and time. Yet. Emma, same thing! We’re on our way! … Sandra? No, we’re not there yet. Three minutes.
“They probably have the audio down,” he added of his bosses. “I don’t blame ‘em. I would too.”
Despite the unfiltered rant, fans flooded the comments with appreciation for the reporter’s entertaining broadcast.
“To Fox 11, this is a pr disaster. For me, this guy should get a raise,” a commenter wrote.
Mundel is a grandfather and the father of four who frequently takes chopper trips to cover news events across the Los Angeles area, according to his social media.
His monologues on other live broadcasts, though usually less bizarre, tend to draw laughs from viewers.
The day’s protests in LA eventually descended into chaos, with protesters at one massive rally opposing President Trump launching rocks, concrete and “commercial-grade” fireworks at law enforcement.
A crowd of more than 20,000 people quickly descended into mayhem as demonstrators clashed with the Los Angeles Police Department and other agencies in a cloud of tear gas outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building.
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