OAN’s James Meyers
11:44 AM – Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Former CNN primetime host Don Lemon will be receiving $24.5 million as part of a separation deal with his former employer, according to multiple sources.
The settlement sum is the amount total that Lemon would have been paid if he had been allowed to stay at the news network through the end of his contract, according to the Wrap outlet. He was let go from the network three-and-a-half years before his contract ended.
Lemon was fired from CNN last April after his short run as a morning show co-host by then-CEO Chris Licht, who later axed himself.
Lemon only lasted two months in his new role. He was forced to make a public apology after saying on air that a woman over the age 50, referencing GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley (R-S.C.), was “past her prime.”
However, the former CNN employee said he was “blindsided” by his dismissal and also claimed that he learned the news from his agent. Lemon announced that CNN fired him on a lengthy post on his X (Twitter) account. The network later disputed his post.
“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” Lemon wrote. “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had 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 that there are some larger issues at play.”
Lemon will now reportedly host a brand-new exclusive show on X (Twitter), covering culture, sports, and politics. X also said in a blog post that the “The Don Lemon Show” will have three 30-minute episodes posted per week.
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