Days after being fired from CNN under mysterious circumstances, media star Don Lemon has opened up about his plans for the future.
CNN’s Chairman and CEO Chris Licht confirmed the news of Lemon’s departure from his role as co-host of CNN This Morning in a statement to Newsweek on Monday afternoon. Licht’s message did not explain why Lemon was let go, but CNN’s chief said he would “forever be part of the CNN family.”
Don Lemon was among the well-heeled participants on the red carpet at the Time 100 Gala in New York City on Wednesday, where he discussed his departure from CNN and plans with Extra.
Lemon told interviewer Tommy DiDario, “Life goes on,” after describing his resignation as a “surprise.”
He continued by saying that while he hopes to return to work in the future, his immediate priorities are rest and spending time with family.
Lemon noted that he and his business partner, Tim Malone, rely on each other “a lot.” During Wednesday night’s gala, with Malone by his side, Lemon gushed about his partner, saying, “He’s my biggest supporter.”
On Monday, Lemon took to Twitter to voice his dismay at his “termination.” Lemon was similarly dismayed by his agent’s news.
Don Lemon Tonight, which he hosted from 2014 to 2022, was Lemon’s nightly news program after he joined CNN in 2006. As a co-host, he joined Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow on CNN This Morning in November. According to Licht’s remark, CNN will keep airing the morning program after Lemon leaves.
No specific reasons for Lemon’s departure were given, although it followed multiple incidents, including charges of sexism and misogyny, that involved the presenter. According to an April 5 Variety article, Lemon has been accused of sexism toward multiple female coworkers since 2008. Lemon dismissed the claims as “anonymous gossip.”
In February, the presenter got into trouble for saying that Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley, who is in her 50s, had “past her prime as a woman.” Lemon later regretted the comments, which he described as “inartful and irrelevant.”
According to a New York Times article on his leaving, CNN had trouble securing guests to go on air with Lemon and had experienced a fall in viewership.
On a day when Tucker Carlson also abruptly left Fox News, two networks with historically opposing political stances experienced extraordinary shakeups. However, Lemon’s ousting was not nearly as eventful as Carlson’s.
