CNN: Don Lemon One of the most well-known personalities on the network, Mr. Lemon, has come under fire for comments he made about women and getting older in February.
CNN is without Don Lemon.
CNN on Monday announced the end of its long-standing partnership with Mr. Lemon, a star anchor who was a mainstay of the network’s prime-time roster before weathering a brief but contentious stint as a morning show co-host. In an announcement that Mr. Don Lemon said left him “stunned,” CNN stated that it would no longer be working with Mr. Don Lemon.
The head of Cable News Network, Chris Licht, issued a statement saying, “CNN and Don have parted ways.” “Don will always remain a member of the CNN family, and we appreciate all that he has done for us over the last 17 years. We’ll be supporting him in his future endeavours and sending him our best wishes.
That kind wording stood in stark contrast to Mr. Don Lemon account of the day’s events. He informed viewers in a harsh tweet that his talent agency had unexpectedly notified him “that I have been terminated by CNN.”
Mr. Don Lemon wrote, “I am astonished. “I would have expected that someone in management would have had the decency to notify me personally after 17 years at CNN. I never had any warning that I wouldn’t be able to carry on with the work I’ve always liked at the network. (CNN refuted Mr. Don Lemon assertion, stating that the anchor “was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”)
Mr. Don Lemon has hired the combative Hollywood attorney Bryan Freedman to manage his leave, which is a clear hint of hostility. Two persons with intimate knowledge of his contract said that it goes through 2026.
Hours prior to the conflicting assertions, Mr. Don Lemon, 57, was shown on television in his customary anchor position on “Cable News Network This Morning,” the programme he has co-hosted with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins since November. He displayed no symptoms of stress and said the audience farewell with a smile and a warm “Bye, everyone.”
Mr. Don Lemon, one of Cable News Network most well-known personalities, was known for his caustic political commentary throughout his eight years as a prime-time anchor. However, he started to lose fans within the network after he made comments about women and ageing in February that were widely regarded as misogynistic. The event caused a nationwide controversy and earned Mr. Licht a rare public censure.
On live, Mr. Don Lemon said that Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley, 51, “isn’t in her prime, sorry,” adding that “a woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s, 30s, and maybe 40s.” His response to the protests of his female co-hosts was, “I’m just saying what the facts are — Google it.” Later, after expressing regret to the Cable News Network newsroom, he decided to participate in a corporate training programme to improve his on-air conduct.
Mr. Lemon’s supporters had hoped he would get past the event. According to two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the internal deliberations were delicate, officials at Cable News Network eventually came to the conclusion that his future at the network was unsustainable.
According to one of the sources, data on the morning programme looked at by Cable News Network management revealed that Mr. Lemon’s appeal with audiences had decreased in recent weeks. CNN’s bookers had learned that some guests did not want to come on the air with Mr. Lemon.
CNN said on Monday that its morning show, a significant Mr. Licht project, will continue. The network stated, “‘CNN This Morning’ has been airing for almost six months, and we are dedicated to its success.
However, Mr. Lemon’s departure opens the door to a more extensive revamp. The network has been speculating that Ms. Collins, a former White House correspondent, may be considered for a permanent role in the time slot after she recently attracted strong ratings during a weeklong stint as a replacement anchor at 9 p.m.
Mr. Lemon’s sudden departure marked the end of a stunning decline for an anchor who had been contentedly entrenched in prime time only seven months prior. Fans of his long-running 10 p.m. programme, “Don Lemon Tonight,” were drawn to his frank discussions of politics and the Trump White House as well as his commentary.
Mr. Lemon brought that character to “CNN This Morning,” but it was a strange match for an hour when many viewers expect lighthearted banter rather than thundering rants as they prepare breakfast and drop off kids at school.
Additionally, a rift developed between Mr. Lemon and Ms. Collins, one of his co-anchors. Crew members of “CNN This Morning” were shaken up in December following a backstage altercation in which Mr. Lemon accused Ms. Collins of interrupting him excessively.
Leaders at Cable News Network had been hoping that Mr. Lemon would get used to his new morning-show role and that improved ratings would come as a result in recent weeks.
However, Mr. Lemon made news once more on Wednesday as a result of a heated on-air argument with Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. As the men argued vehemently over Black history and the Second Amendment, the programme degenerated. Ms. Harlow, Mr. Lemon’s co-anchor, could be seen sitting quietly next to him, occasionally looking away and using her smartphone.
According to the sources, some Cable News Network executives were irate following the event.
In 2006, Mr. Lemon moved from a local Chicago NBC affiliate to Cable News Network. He created a stir in 2011 when he revealed in a memoir what many of his coworkers already knew: He is homosexual. Few national television newsreaders were in the public at the time. Being out as a Black guy carries dangers, as Mr. Lemon candidly acknowledged, and he expressed his worries “that people might shun me.”
In May 2022, Mr. Licht, a former morning-show producer, succeeded Jeff Zucker as Cable News Network president. Since then, he has overseen significant changes at the network, including the acquisition of “CNN This Morning” by Warner Bros. Discovery in a media megamerger. Numerous Cable News Network staff members were let go, and some top producers and anchors moved on.
“CNN This Morning” has had a relatively sluggish start in the ratings and has had trouble keeping up with its predecessor, “New Day.” The Paley Centre for Media hosted Mr. Licht last week, who claimed that the mornings were “the most competitive” times for television.
It takes time to debut a new show, he remarked. Therefore, it has undoubtedly experienced growing pains and will undoubtedly continue to develop. Now that Mr. Lemon is no longer in charge, the programme will develop.
Mr. Lemon called the opportunity to host a new morning programme “a thrill” in a happy announcement in September, and he thanked Mr. Licht for choosing him. When Chris Licht asked me to do this, “I was honestly floored, and I’m honoured by his belief in me,” the anchor said.
People, set your alarms because we’re going to have a lot of fun, Mr. Lemon continued.
