Don Lemon is leaving CNN after 17 years.
The morning show host said he was informed by his agent that he had been fired. Lemon presented together CNN this morning Monday.
The network said they had “broken up”. That’s what CNN said CNN this morningco-hosted by Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, continues.
The news came minutes after Fox News Media announced that Tucker Carlson and the Fox News Channel had “mutually agreed to part ways.” CNN and Fox News each announced the news over their airwaves.
“I’m amazed,” Lemon wrote on Twitter. “After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly. I was never given any indication that I wouldn’t be able to continue doing the work I love at the network. Clearly, larger issues are at stake. That said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business and I wish them well.”
After the tweet, CNN said in a statement, “Don Lemon’s testimony about this morning’s events is false. He had a chance to meet with management but instead issued a statement on Twitter.”
Lemon reportedly had “no idea” that his firing was imminent, especially since it turned out that he recently endured an uproar over comments about Nikki Haley, as well as uproar from Discovery’s new owner of the network. According to a source, he hired Bryan Freedman, the Los Angeles attorney who previously handled the departures of other high-profile news figures such as Chris Cuomo and Megyn Kelly.
Lemon’s contract runs through the end of 2026, with compensation of about $20 million, according to a source.
The network first announced Lemon’s split with a statement: “CNN and Don Lemon have parted ways. Don will forever be part of the CNN family and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will encourage him in his future endeavours.”
Lemon was moved to morning hours in November, along with Harlow and Collins as part of a revamped morning show. However, ratings were far from spectacular and the network has since replaced its executive producer. But even as executives maintain the show needs more time to grow, Lemon has been the source of some controversy given morning viewing habits.
In February, Lemon drew ire while talking about presidential candidate Nikki Haley for making comments about when women were “in their prime.” He took a few days off from the show before apologizing and agreeing to attend a formal training session. More recently, he clashed with GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in the kind of heated debates typical of cable news, but in contrast to the softer tone the network aims for in the morning.
In promoting the morning show, the network highlighted the chemistry between the three hosts. But CNN This Morning averaged 359,000 viewers in its time slot in the first quarter, with an additional 78,000 viewers on an HLN simulcast. That’s a whopping third of its cable news competitors, fox and friends And Good morning Joe.
CNN’s John King broke the Lemon news on his Domestic politics show. “I want to share important news with you here in our own network,” he said. “CNN’s Oliver Darcy is back with us — Oliver, what do you know?” Darcy began, “Um, another shocking news, John, in the world of cable news: Don Lemon and CNN have parted ways. It appears from a memo sent to CNN staffers moments ago.”
Lemon previously hosted his own primetime nightly show, known for its mix of news interviews, opinion and commentary. Lemon was outspoken and even polarizing at times in this role, but it was a different era for the network under then-CEO Jeff Zucker. CNN boss Chris Licht, who was with the network last May, said at a recent Semafor event that Lemon was “a lightning rod because he really stepped up at a time when it was celebrating and encouraging prime time is. … This is not CNN’s prime time. The world has moved away from it. Don moved away from it. Don was the first to say: ‘I’m tired of setting my hair on fire every night. I want to try something new.’”
In addition to the morning show, Lemon reported from Memphis earlier this year following the police-involved death of Tire Nichols.
Source: Deadline
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
