Left-leaning anchor Don Lemon announced Tuesday that he is returning to media after a nine-month hiatus after being fired from CNN.
Lemons canned after a series of controversies, culminating with Nikki Haley's infamous “past her prime” comment, is back on Elon Musk's social media platform X.
“I heard you…and I'm back bigger, bolder, and freer!” he posted on the site formerly known as Twitter.
“The first project for my new media company is The Don Lemon Show. It will be easily available to anyone, whenever and wherever they want, and streamed on the platforms where the conversations are happening.” the Firebrand host added.
“And you'll be the first to find it on X, the world's largest free space.”
“Now more than ever, we realize that we need a space for honest debate and discussion without hall monitors. This is just the beginning, so stay tuned,” he concluded.
Mr. Musk is trying to attract more liberal voices to the platform's streaming service, Space.
“I have been searching for the right time, place and partner to return to what I love most, and I have found it,” Lemon told the Post in an emailed statement.
He continued: “There is so much I want to say, but so much more I want to hear and understand. In the months since I lost the regular opportunity to share what I'm thinking, I've realized how much I've missed it.” Democracy thrives when nothing is said and everyone has a say. I'm excited to be returning to the role and can't wait to get to work.”
“The goal is to launch in February,” Lemon spokeswoman Alison Golast told the Post.
From there, the show will air three times a week for at least 30 minutes each, Gollust said.
“It will run on X first and then elsewhere as well,” she added.
Lemon most recently co-hosted CNN This Morning with Poppy Harlow and Caitlan Collins after being moved from the 10 p.m. primetime show, a move reported at the time as a “promotion.” .
Tensions between Collins and Lemon were reportedly running high, with an ugly off-camera incident in which he allegedly “screamed” at his co-host, upsetting cast and crew members who were watching. There is.
Two sources familiar with the situation say that after the show aired on Dec. 8, 2022, Lemon, 57, approached Collins, 31, and confronted Collins in front of staff, accusing him of “interfering.” It is said that he dropped off Mr. He's on the air.
News of the explosion reached CNN's then-CEO Chris Licht, who was appalled by Lemon's actions, people familiar with the matter said. Another source said producers spoke with Lemon at Licht's orders and told the anchor to take the next day off to “cool his head.”
The December explosion was not the first sign of trouble on “CNN This Morning” since the program began on Nov. 1, 2022. A week earlier, Lemon got into an awkward argument with Collins and Harlow on air, claiming that American men's programming was wrong. The soccer team should receive more compensation than the women's team, despite the men's team's relative lack of success at the World Cup.
The incident made headlines and was quoted in The Daily Beast. Lemon says the male cast was more interesting to watch. — a comment Lemon quickly walked away from and claimed was a joke.
Shortly after, in February 2023, Lemon infamously described then-51-year-old Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley as “not yet in her prime.”
“Women are considered to be in their prime. [their] “They're in their 20s, 30s and maybe even 40s,” he said.
When Harlow criticized Lemon for the comment, Lemon doubled down, insisting he was not expressing his personal beliefs.
“That's not the case in my opinion. It's like prime. If you look into it. If you Google when women are in their prime, you'll see 20s, 30s, 40s,” he said. insisted.
Lemon was unceremoniously fired by the network by the end of April. A reported payment of $25 million.
Days after being ousted, Lemon played the victim, telling Extra on the red carpet at the Time 100 Gala in New York: “A lot of unexpected things happen, but I survived.”
“I've lived a life with no regrets, and whatever I've done, it's what I've done, what I've owned,” he told Extra. “I don’t look back and I don’t want to change the past…Move forward.”
