CNN CEO Chris Licht acknowledged Lemon’s contributions to the network and wished him well in his future endeavors, but a tweet from CNN Communications disputed Lemon’s account, stating that he had been offered a meeting with management.
Lemon’s departure follows a Variety report in April that detailed several supposed misogynistic incidents at CNN over the past 15 years, including an alleged threat he made to Live From co-host Kyra Phillips over a coveted assignment, derogatory comments about former colleague Soledad O’Brien, and disrespect toward Nancy Grace on the air.
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.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) April 24, 2023
Lemon’s spokesperson responded to the report with a statement calling it “riddled with patently false anecdotes and no concrete evidence” and “entirely based on unsourced, unsubstantiated, 15-year-old anonymous gossip.”
