Brian Williams Cancels David Letterman Appearance As Katie Couric Hopes To Replace Him: Update [Video]

Amid the brouhaha resulting from Brian Williams’ “embellishment” of his Iraq and Hurricane Katrina reports, the newscaster has cancelled his planned appearance on the David Letterman show, according to Reuters.

Williams was scheduled to appear on the witty talk show host’s clever-a-thon later this week. However, in the wake of the controversy about what he admitted are false reports, he has decided not to show up for what was initially planned as a jovial conversation. The two have become skilled at casual repartee, as shown below.

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Meanwhile, with her talk show cancelled and her internet reporting gig not fulfilling her virtual dreams, Kate Couric is eagerly waiting in the wings to replace Brian Williams amid rumors that he is finished, according to the New York Daily News.

But what happened to cause Williams to fall from highly-regarded, respected, number-one anchorman in the nation to the subject of late night talk show jokes? Brian has recently found himself the subject of news stories quoting sources charging him with lying about his reports on Iraq and Hurricane Katrina.

And in Katie’s eyes, Williams can’t recover his stature after being targeted, said a source.

“No one smells blood like Katie. She is like a shark. Brian is in deep trouble and this could be her chance. You don’t get to be as successful as Katie without being ruthless. Behind her is a line of bodies she needed to step on to get to the top.”

But Couric has had her own share of criticism. After ABC spent big bucks on her daytime talk show, Katie was canceled after only one year.

Now in a new role as Yahoo’s global anchor, Couric has been charged with failing to report on exclusive news that went viral. However, she does have strong ties to NBC, added the source.

“Katie still has deep, deep contacts at NBC,” revealed the insider. “She would love to return as the ‘Nightly News’ anchor.”

However, she is worried that in her 50s, she will need to compete with others who are younger and more attractive, along the lines of David Muir, added the source.

“Her biggest fear is that they will go with a younger pretty boy like ABC did,” said the insider, referencing World News Tonight anchor Muir.

In the interim of uncertainty about Brian Williams’ fate, a psychologist specializing in false memory is defending him by saying he suffered from that syndrome, as the Inquisitr reported.

Lawrence Patihis, a University of California, Irvine, researcher, said that it’s highly possible.

“I suspect that no one is immune from memory distortion. Even people with superior memory seem to be susceptible to misleading information that is presented after the original event.”

As for whether Brian Williams can regain the nation’s trust, however, no one yet knows the answer, according to Fox News. However, he is not suspended, according to sources, and instead voluntarily took a leave of absence.

In a statement, Williams explained his decision.

“In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions. As managing editor of NBC Nightly News, I have decided to take myself off of my daily broadcast for the next several days.”

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In the interim, NBC is gathering facts that will allow the network to answer questions concerning what has been shown to be a false report by Williams that he was in a helicopter in Iraq hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

But the question remains as to why he would falsify a news report? Some are saying that he feels he couldn’t resist exaggerating and boasting about his exploits, while others think he may have viewed himself as a hero by traveling to places such as Iraq and hurricane-wrought New Orleans to report.

“Williams is said to believe that he simply succumbed to the sin of exaggeration. Armchair pundits have been analyzing whether he somehow convinced himself that he was a hero by taking enemy fire.”

In the words of Peter Pan, which his daughter Allison Williams just played, does Brian feel that he’s just “gotta crow”?

Worth noting: When Brian learned that Allison had earned the role, he surprised even NBC staff by deciding without permission to report that she would be singing such Peter Pan standards as “I Gotta Crow” as part of his broadcast, as the Inquisitr reported.

What do you think? Should Brian Williams remain the anchor, or should he resign? Post your comments below.

[Photo By Ethan Miller/Getty Images]