CNN introduced the exit Monday of longtime anchor Don Lemon, and never surprisingly, there was drama.
The cable community stated in a press release that the 2 had “parted ways,” however Mr. Lemon had a unique take, saying he was “stunned” after being instructed by his agent that he was “terminated by CNN” after wrapping up the newest episode of the morning present he co-hosts.
“After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly,” he tweeted. “It is clear that there are some larger issues at play.”
Mr. Lemon then thanked his colleagues for “an incredible run” on the community, calling them “the most talented journalists in the business.”
The transfer was largely overshadowed by Monday’s announcement that top-rated host Tucker Carlson has left Fox News Channel, which shocked the media and political worlds. By distinction, Mr. Lemon’s exit was not sudden.
CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht stated in a press release that “CNN and Don have parted ways.”
“Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors,” Mr. Licht stated.
Mr. Lemon was demoted from his primetime slot final 12 months and moved to the revamped morning present in what was seen as an effort to dial again the community’s left-wing bias. Moving the community again towards the political middle has been a aim of recent administration for the reason that merger that created Warner Bros. Discovery.
Mr. Lemon might have sealed his destiny two months in the past when he stated on the air that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley “is not in her prime,” explaining {that a} girl is taken into account in her prime “in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s.”
The former South Carolina governor is 51. CNN co-host Poppy Harlow challenged Mr. Lemon, asking if he was “talking about prime for childbearing or are you talking about prime for being president?”
Retorted Mr. Lemon: “Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just saying what the facts are.”
He tweeted later that day that he regretted his feedback as “inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out,” then disappeared from the present for a number of days. Mr. Licht instructed staff in an e mail that the host had agreed to “participate in formal training” on the matter.
The conservative satirical web site the Babylon Bee commented: “Sad: CNN Fires Don Lemon After Realizing He’s Past His Prime.”
Mr. Lemon’s departure follows an explosive April 5 report in Variety that particulars his “diva-like” habits and disrespectful actions towards former CNN colleagues akin to Soledad O’Brien and Kyra Phillips.
Mr. Lemon was accused of sending a threatening textual content to Ms. Phillips when she was picked to cowl the aftermath of the U.S. invasion of Iraq as an alternative of him. He was additionally accused of claiming on a name that Ms. O’Brien was not really Black when she was tapped to co-host a docuseries on Black individuals.
Ms. O’Brien, who is a component White and half Afro-Cuban, stated afterward she wasn’t shocked.
“Don has long had a habit of saying idiotic and inaccurate things, so it sounds pretty on brand for him,” stated Ms. O’Brien, who wasn’t on the decision.
A spokesperson for Mr. Lemon denied each of the allegations to Variety.
Certainly the final two days have been eventful ones for the cable-news trade. The Lemon and Carlson departures come a day after NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell stepped down over what he referred to as an “inappropriate relationship with a woman at the company.”
NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast, is the dad or mum firm of cable-news channels CNBC and MSNBC.
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