Why did Don Lemon get fired? After a brief and disastrous tenure as a morning show host, CNN fired longtime host Don Lemon on Monday 2023. A little more than two months had passed since he had apologized for remarks he had made on air regarding Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley being past her prime.
Why Did Don Lemon Get Fired?
After spending 17 years with CNN, Don Lemon was let go, but he maintained he “owned” his actions and had no regrets.
Lemon declared his resignation on Monday, claiming he was “stunned” to learn of the decision from his agent. He also bemoaned the lack of “decency” in CNN’s reporting of the incident, which the network rejected as “inaccurate.”
CNN said, “We thank Don for his contributions over the past 17 years and he will always be a part of the CNN family.” “We will be supporting him in his future endeavors and wishing him well.”
“I don’t have any regrets in life. “I don’t look back and I don’t want to change things in the past,” Lemon stated in an Extra TV interview conducted at the Time 100 Gala NYC. “I did what I did and I own it.”
It happened at a time when Lemon was embroiled in many scandals in recent months, including claims that she had harassed female coworkers off-camera and made offensive remarks about women while on the show. Lemon has refuted the accusations.
How CNN Handled Don Lemon’s Exit
In their opening remarks to the audience for their daily news program, CNN hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins brought up the subject of Don Lemon’s abrupt termination.
“We do begin, though, with news about this show,” Harlow said as “CNN This Morning” started. “As you may have heard yesterday, CNN parted ways with anchor Don Lemon.”
In comparison to the remarks rival network Fox News made on-air regarding its own Tucker Carlson, who was also fired on Monday, this farewell dedicated a few more kind words to a departing colleague.
However, it didn’t address rumors of sexism in his on-air remarks that preceded Lemon’s departure or reports of backstage tensions.
During CNN’s morning reorganization, Lemon departed from his prime-time position to collaborate with Harlow and Collins. This was one of Licht’s first significant programming decisions.
Lemon tweeted announcing his departure, stating, “I am stunned.” “I was never informed at any point that I would not be able to continue doing the work I have loved at the network,” he continued. Additionally, he stated in his letter that he received the news from his agent rather than directly from CNN management.
That was “inaccurate,” CNN responded in a statement, adding that Lemon “was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.” Since Lemon’s termination, CNN has not released an official statement indicating what led to the termination.
Lemon issued an apology on social media a few hours later for his remarks. “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 on Twitter.
Additional to that, he said “The age of a woman does not define her in a personal or professional sense. I am surrounded by innumerable women who daily demonstrate that.”
The memo that PEOPLE was able to obtain stated, “He has agreed to participate in formal training, as well as continuing to listen and learn.”
“We are extremely serious about this situation. CNN strikes a balance between accountability and creating a culture that allows individuals to take ownership of, grow from, and learn from their mistakes.
Final Words
Being the main face of “CNN This Morning,” Lemon faced mounting pressure from CNN due to the low viewership of the program. Additionally, some potential guests were unwilling to be interviewed, and advertisers refused to participate.
In February 2023, he made remarks on air regarding the “prime” age of Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley and other women, which drew criticism as well.
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