CNN has denied a report that it reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with Don Lemon, a former anchor for the outlet who was fired last year.
The report claimed that Lemon agreed to a separation deal worth about $24.5 million with CNN, which would have totaled to the final amount that Lemon agreed to in his final contract with the network. However, a spokesperson with the network has called the report “incorrect” but did not specify what was incorrect.
“While we never comment on specifics of any employee contract, this story is incorrect,” a CNN spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.
Lemon’s firing occurred in late April 2023, a couple months after he had claimed that 2024 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, 52, was past her “prime.” Lemon had also been accused of misconduct toward female coworkers during his time at the network, with a spokesperson for Lemon calling the accusations “patently false.”
A few hours after he was fired, Lemon claimed that it was clear “there are some larger issues at play” in his firing. However, CNN denied the statement, saying he was given the opportunity to meet with management but instead issued a statement on social media.
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Last month, Lemon announced that he would launch his own show, simply titled The Don Lemon Show, on X. He described it as “the biggest space for free speech in the world.” Lemon also said he had become aware of the importance of debate and discussion “without the hall monitors” and that his new show would be “just the beginning.”
Ex-Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson, who has his own popular show on X, congratulated Lemon on the announcement of the show, welcoming him to a “new world” of journalism. Carlson and Lemon were both fired from their respective networks on the same day, April 24, 2023.
