An abusive email exchange has seen Sunday Star Times columnist Steve Braunias axed from the newspaper's Sunday magazine.
Editor David Kemeys would not confirm the reasons behind Mr Braunias’ exit, saying the matter was “private”.
“Columnists come and columnists go,” he said.
But Mr Braunias wasted no time ripping into his former boss, whom he says has wanted to axe his column for some time.
“Editors come and editors go,” he told the National Business Review.
“I expect the paper will soon enough despatch the mediocre hack back to where he came from – which I understand is nowhere.”
Mr Braunias is also a features writer for North & South and Metro and has appeared as a panellist on television books show The Good Word.
In 2010 he received a $35,000 grant from Copyright Licencing to publish New Zealand: The Biography.
His last column in the Sunday magazine will run on February 5.
The story has already provoked an interesting online debate, with some readers claiming it was an email sent to a police prosecutor that lead to Mr Braunias' dismissal.
"From what I understand, he called the reader in question the C-word," writes Stephen Stratford.
"Possibly justified, possibly not. But the first rule of journalism in my book is that you don't insult the reader. Even if they write in green ink."
"It's a big disappointing if in responding to (probably rampant) abuse that as a writer you cannot use the "c" word," writes blogger Cactus Kate.
"Let's hope Steve used the "f" word in front to get value for his dismissal."
Cactus Kate then offers to republish the "uncensored" email exchange on either of her blogs, should Mr Braunias so desire.
Failing that, broadcaster Bill Ralston sheds a little more light on the exchange.
"I am given to understand the reader had already emailed him describing him, quite accurately but somewhat rudely, saying; 'You're an ugly f***er' to which he replied 'And you're a c**t'.
"What makes it interesting is the reader, a woman, is a police prosecutor who sent the email from a Police email address. Can you say c**t on the police server?"
Mr Stratford questions what the pair could have been discussing and how quickly the tone descended.
"Wouldn't we all like to see a transcript of the preceding conversation," he writes.
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