“After 17 years…Have the decency to tell me directly”: American TV Industry in Shock as CNN Fires Don Lemon Over S*xism Row
The American television journalist Don Lemon recently parted ways with CNN after serving there for 17 long years. Lemon rose to prominence after hosting CNN’s Don Lemon Tonight Show. The host of the show expressed his dismay about not being informed about his termination from the show. On the contrary, CNN has denied his statement, mentioning that Lemon’s claims are inaccurate.
The incident is linked to the day when Lemon made a s*xist comment on the show. Following that, the host took a temporary leave from the show. Soon after his return, a few months later, he was startled to discover that he was no more a part of the show.
Why was Don Lemon fired from his job?
Veteran host and anchor Don Lemon is currently making headlines after being fired by CNN. The host was not just the face of the show; he also contributed to its success. Lemon dedicated 17 years of his life to the show and the broadcasting company. After realizing that he was no longer a part of the show, Lemos was reportedly disheartened. He revealed that even after serving the show for close to two decades, CNN didn’t even bother to inform him about his termination. He received the news about his departure from the show through an agent. The anchor wrote in a social media post,
“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 someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly. 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 there are some larger issues at play.”
Though Lemon mentioned some ‘larger issue’, he did not give any explanation for that. However, the host was criticized for his s*xist comment on the show in February. The long-term host claimed that presidential candidate Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime. By prime, the host meant that Haley’s age wasn’t appropriate for the presidential election. The Don Lemon Tonight anchor said,
“A woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s, 30s, and maybe her 40s.”
When asked what he meant by the term ‘prime’, Lemon said,
“If you Google, ‘when is a woman in her prime,’ it’ll say the 20s, 30s, and 40s. I’m not saying I agree with that so I think she has to be careful about saying that politicians aren’t in their prime.”
After making the s*xist remark, the 57-year-old anchor was benched from the show. Lemon apologized to his co-hosts, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, over a private call. As per the transcript acquired by The Post, he said, “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to hurt anyone.”
Following the incident, the journalist took a temporary leave from the show.
What is CNN’s take on this whole scenario?
CNN has denied all the claims made by Don Lemon. CNN’s communication team took to Twitter to share their side of the story. They wrote,
“He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”
As the news about Lemon’s departure surfaced on the internet, the CEO of CNN, Chris Licht, made an official announcement about Lemon’s termination and wrote a short memo to the employees of CNN, stating,
“CNN and Don 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 be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”
Lemon’s career was built on his hard work and dedication, but his one statement made him infamous and ruined his years of hard work.
Source: Page Six
