Don Lemon Reacts To Being Fired By CNN After 17 Years

CNN news anchor Don Lemon attends the 11th annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute at the American Museum of Natural History, in New York
11th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, New York, USA - 17 Dec 2017 — Image Credit: John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock

Don Lemon announced that he was fired by CNN on April 24. The 57-year-old news anchor said in a statement that he’s “stunned” by the network’s decision, which comes after he was accused of misogyny in a Variety story published earlier this month. “I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” Don wrote on Twitter. “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that 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.”

“With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run,” Don added. “They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best.” Don joined CNN in 2006, after being employed at Today and NBC News. He was let go by CNN the same day Tucker Carlson and Fox News parted ways.

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— Don Lemon (@donlemon) April 24, 2023

CNN confirmed Don’s exit in a statement. “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,” the network wrote. In a second statement, CNN said that Don’s statement on his firing was “inaccurate”. The network wrote, “He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”

Don’s troubles at CNN began in February, when he made a misogynistic comment about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley. Don said on Feb. 16 that 51-year-old Nikki was not “in her prime,” while discussing comments that the former South Carolina governor had made about politicians over 75 requiring a mental competency test. Don tweeted an apology after the comments. “The reference I made to a woman’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it,” he wrote. “A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.” Don spent a week away from CNN This Morning and returned to the show on February 22.

Don faced more scrutiny when a Variety report published April 5 claimed that the famous journalist had a history of misogyny at CNN. The article included accusations from women who worked with Don that claimed he mistreated them at CNN. Don’s spokesperson denied the allegations and said in a statement that Variety‘s report was “riddled with patently false anecdotes and no concrete evidence” and was “entirely based on unsourced, unsubstantiated, 15-year-old anonymous gossip.”