Don Lemon is an American TV journalist who recently anchors news and shows on CNN from 2014 until 2023 after a dramatic departure. He initially joined CNN in 2006 as a correspondent and gradually hosted primetime news among other roles.
Why was Don Lemon fired from CNN?
There have been many theories as to why Don Lemon was fired from CNN. He was abruptly fired from CNN on April 24, 2023, while his contract was to expire in 2026.
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) April 24, 2023
After news of his firing came out, he shared on his social media accounts that he was stunned about his termination as no one had told him directly. However, CNN commented that he was asked to talk to the management but he ran to Twitter to give a statement.
According to various reputable sources, CNN was having trouble securing guests willing to go on-air with Lemon, and polls showed his popularity among viewers was declining. Lemon has also been accused of making offensive and misogyny comments about women in the past.
At the moment it is still not known what Lemon’s next move will be. Twitter CEO, Elon Musk offered him a show on Twitter which he has not responded to yet.
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Don Lemon Parents
Lemon was born and raised by his parents Katherine Marie (Bouligney) and Wilmon Lee Richardson. He was raised alongside his siblings Leisa Lemon and Yma Lemon. Lemon went to a public high school called Baker High School.
He was the class president during his senior year. He then went to Louisiana State University and later Brooklyn College where he graduated with a major in broadcast journalism in 1996.
Husband
Lemon came out publicly as gay in 2011 in his memoir, Transparent. He was among the few publicly gay black men in broadcasting at the time. He is engaged to his partner Tim Malone. They met in 2017 and got engaged in April 2019. Malone is a well-known real estate agent. They live in their luxury Manhattan apartment with their three dogs.
Don Lemon Career Background
After graduating from Brooklyn College, Lemon was a news anchor for WBRC and WCAU. For the subsequent years, he worked at KTVI in St. Louis, Missouri, NBC News, MSNBC, WMAQ-TV, and some Fox affiliates. Lemon joined CNN in 2006 as a correspondent.
In 2014, he began hosting primetime shows including The Don Lemon Show, The Eleventh Hour, and later CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. Lemon is known for voicing his strong opinions on his shows which sometimes cause controversy. His constant criticism of Donald Trump made him his target during his presidency.
He has also been taking part in the network’s New Year’s Eve Live coverage as a correspondent from a city in the Central Time Zone. In May 2021, his show was rebranded to Don Lemon Tonight; which at fisrt made it seem like he was leaving CNN.
In September 2022, it was announced that Lemon together with Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow will be hosting a new morning show called CNN This Morning. His time at CNN ended in April 2023 after an abrupt and dramatic firing.
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Don Lemon’s Net Worth and Salary 2024
According to various sources, Lemon earned $4 million annually while at CNN. He has an estimated net worth of $12 million as of 2024.
