Howard Stern and Jay Leno Feud: Controversial Radio Host Won’t Back Down to NBC

After "America's Got Talent" judge Howard Stern offered some not-so-kind words to television personality Jay Leno in regards to budget cuts at "The Tonight Show," NBC producers fired back with a not-so-kind email - but true to his typical fashion, Stern in no way backed down.

According to reports, Leno admits that he supposedly slashed his own salary in order to save some staff jobs on "The Tonight Show" (after NBC imposed a mandatory budget cut). Even so, some Leno staffers were still ultimately given the boot. And how did the infamously famous radio show personality respond to such reports? -

"It's all horse sh##t. It's bullsh##t. It's a smokescreen. Here's what it really means, and you can take this to the bank: Jay Leno is a scumbag. That's what that means. He's a spineless maggot. Jay wanted to cut staff. He's embarrassed to do it. He didn't want to come off as a bad guy. NBC took the hit for him, because they're a corporation...My bullsh##t meter is going off all over the place."

Now this is where NBC enters - producers at the popular American broadcasting network can't have two of their top stars from two of their hit shows ("The Tonight Show" and "America's Got Talent") publicly feuding now, can they?

According to Stern on his popular Sirius XM Radio show, "I did hear from [NBC]. I got a threatening kinda comment from one of the executives" (following his initial Leno roast).

The 58-year-old self-described "King of All Media" then continues with:

"I [told NBC] 'Do not ask me not to talk about Jay Leno. I will f##king talk about Jay for four hours if you tell me not to. I was done with Jay. Now I'm all fired up again. F##k Jay. Take my job away from me. Who cares?'"

Stern admits that he's been in an on-and-off again feud with the comedian/television host for years. But even after the harsh exchange with NBC, Stern acknowledges that he thoroughly enjoys his spot on the hit reality show "America's Got Talent."

And as for his success as a "Talent" judge (a position he has held for just one season), Stern claims, "I don't answer to anybody. Everybody knows that. And that's why I'm a great f##king judge."

Just don't tell the Boston University alumnus what he should and should not say, and that also pertains to you NBC execs:

"I'm sure it was a joke, actually. No one in their right mind would tell me not to talk about something."