Don Lemon’s been annoying us for years. But we should really consider ourselves fortunate, because evidently he’s an absolute nightmare to actually work with.
Don’t take our word for it; take CNN employees’ past and present, who had some very interesting stories to share with Variety for a damning new article about Lemon’s behavior at the network over the years:
Don Lemon’s Misogyny at CNN, Exposed: Malicious Texts, Mocking Female Co-Workers and ‘Diva-Like Behavior’ https://t.co/0Iz9NvKFHv
— Variety (@Variety) April 5, 2023
Intriguing headline, no? Wait til you read past it and get into the substance of the article.
Obviously we can’t post the whole thing here, but this excerpt should give you a pretty good idea of what you’re in for:
Those who worked with him say he was a shameless name dropper and left behind hints that he socialized with important people, like a hand-written note from Stedman Graham that he had taped on his computer. Some were unnerved by his talk of his previous lawsuits, believing it signaled that he was litigious. He frequently let drop that he successfully sued Tower Records as well as the Chicago PD for racial profiling and didn’t need to worry about money thanks to the settlements. (Variety can only find record of the former, which was settled in 2001 and appears to be sealed. Through a CNN spokesperson, Lemon says he never sued the Chicago PD). All the while, he began openly dating a fresh-out-of-college staffer despite a major age difference and power imbalance. (Lemon was 41, while the staffer was 22.) The ambitious anchor, who is gay, was not out of the closet at the time, but wasn’t hiding it either. The pair would drive to work together in Lemon’s car and began a long-term open relationship. Dating a junior employee was frowned upon at the time.
“As fast as you could make a rule, Don would bend it,” says one senior executive at the time.
More troubling was his misogynistic behavior, multiple sources say. Lemon called one of his producers fat to her face. Not long before he was fingered for sending threatening texts to [Kyra] Phillips, he mocked [Nancy] Grace on air by mimicking her, shocking fellow colleagues. Grace declined comment but a person close to her tells Variety that “she thinks he’s an ass” and that he was always “rude, dismissive and really unfamiliar with the [news] content being discussed.”
…
If Lemon felt threatened by Grace, the biggest star at CNN/Headline News at the time, she wasn’t the only one. He was upset that [Soledad] O’Brien landed the gig of hosting CNN’s high-profile “Black in America” docuseries, which launched in 2008. During an editorial call attended by roughly 30 staffers, he suggested O’Brien isn’t Black, according to two witnesses, who found the characterization wildly offensive. “Don always wanted to be front and center on anything high profile, especially anything involving race,” says a colleague.
Sounds like Don Lemon is pretty problematic.
If this story is true, it is absolutely nuts that CNN didn’t fire Lemon. https://t.co/dUpTKm0yP0 pic.twitter.com/Wc51wMJEMv
— Sonny Bunch (@SonnyBunch) April 5, 2023
Meanwhile, Lemon with the backing of CNN, remained on the air passing his moral judgements on all of us.
Just imagine how utter contemptable and vile these hypocritical moral scolds are behind closed doors. https://t.co/1wWVYBHQkE
— Fusilli Spock (@awstar11) April 5, 2023
Well, thanks to Variety’s article, we don’t really have to imagine. We’ve now got a pretty good idea of what Lemon is like behind closed doors.
Wow.
How is he still employed? https://t.co/lO6xNJEg8v
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) April 5, 2023
Well, here’s one thought:
CNN cleaned house recently, and I remember everyone being distinctly surprised Lemon wasn’t let go.
It’s like he’s got blackmail on them or something.
— seanfucious (@Seanfucious) April 5, 2023
Given the nature of CNN these days, let’s just say we wouldn’t be surprised if there were something to that theory.
Because let’s face it: if a few circumstances were slightly different, Lemon would’ve been canned ages ago.
Here's how you know it's true: not one person is going to be like "wow, no way, totally not the Don Lemon I know." It reads like him. And CNN not firing him is very, very on-brand for a company that punished @mkhammer for having a problem with Toobin toobin'ing on zoom. https://t.co/DogtCMrMt4
— Karol Markowicz (@karol) April 5, 2023
This guy is a virulent misogynist and just so stupid. Why he has a job is beyond me.
— Melissa Mackenzie (@MelissaTweets) April 5, 2023
Well, aside from the theory that he’s got dirt on people at CNN, there’s also this to consider:
It's good to have privilege. https://t.co/IPIBFfTk1z
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) April 5, 2023
And clearly Lemon’s got quite a bit of it. The question is how much longer it will last him.
The knives are out for Don Lemon at CNN. This reads like a precipitating event for his departure. https://t.co/yLQ3TaCojK
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) April 5, 2023
I think this’ll end Don Lemon’s CNN career. https://t.co/dRrZ2hvRs9 via @variety
— Kyle Smith (@rkylesmith) April 5, 2023
From your lips to Chris Licht’s ears, Kyle. It’s certainly what Don Lemon deserves.
Just one quick parting question:
Attn @brianstelter with all the media stories you're tweeting, why are you spiking this one? You're not at CNN now, you don't have to protect them 24/7 any more. https://t.co/eK7FSfbF70
— johnny dollar (@johnnydollar01) April 5, 2023
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Related:
Megyn Kelly GOES OFF on CNN for ‘farce’ of giving Don Lemon another chance
Something important’s missing from Don Lemon’s apology after misogynistic remarks about Nikki Haley
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