UPDATE
10:16 AM PT — A statement from CNN disputes Don’s claim he was blindsided, “Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”
Don Lemon is out at CNN, after 17 years at the network, a move he says he was never given any heads-up was happening.
In a statement Monday, Lemon said, “I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly.”
He continues, “At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play.”
Finally saying, “With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best.”
Don was on air Monday morning, without a hint that anything might be off, and ending his show with the words, “Bye, everyone.”
CNN
The move comes just 2 months after Lemon was benched briefly for sexist comments he made about Nikki Haley, when he said she was no longer “in her prime” at age 51.
2/16/23
CNN
He was also recently caught on a hot mic making comments about Jon Stewart … however, it seemed those incidents had both cooled off with the network.
4/10/23
CNN
Unclear if there was something more happening behind the scenes.