Watch Morning Joe's squeamish report on the sexual harassment allegations against 'our friend Mark Halperin'

MSNBC's Morning Joe team was clearly uncomfortable reporting Thursday on allegations by five women against political analyst Mark Halperin, a regular on the show. The women claim Halperin sexually harassed them when he was political director at ABC News:

"CNN is reporting allegations regarding our friend Mark Halperin during his time at ABC News over a decade ago, unnamed sources detailing unwanted advances and inappropriate behavior," co-host Mika Brzezinski carefully explained.

Halperin apologized Wednesday night, admitting: "I did pursue relationships with women that I worked with, including some junior to me." He added, "I now understand from these accounts that my behavior was inappropriate and caused others pain. For that, I am deeply sorry and I apologize."

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By Thursday, Halperin was out at NBC: "We find the story and the allegations very troubling," the network said in a statement to Fox News. "Mark Halperin is leaving his role as a contributor until the questions around his past conduct are fully understood."