Topline
Longtime CNN anchor Don Lemon announced Monday he was fired by the network in a move that left him “stunned,” which came less than an hour after Fox News said it had parted ways with host Tucker Carlson in another massive shakeup to the cable news landscape.
Don Lemon attends the 13th Annual CNN Heroes at the American Museum of Natural History on December … [+]
Key Facts
Lemon tweeted a message Monday blasting CNN’s leadership, saying: “I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly.”
CNN confirmed the departure shortly afterward, tweeting the network and the anchor “parted ways,” adding Lemon “will forever be a part of the CNN family.”
Lemon arrived at CNN in 2006, and spent the past five months co-hosting CNN This Morning alongside Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow.
Crucial Quote
“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,” Lemon tweeted. “It is clear there are some larger issues at play.”
Surprising Fact
Fox News unexpectedly announced late Monday morning it “agreed to part ways” with Carlson—the unabashedly conservative host who anchored the second highest-rated cable news program last year. A reason for the departure was not given, but Carlson was expected to play a major role in a defamation trial in a case Dominion Voting Systems filed against the network—in part over allegations Carlson recklessly promoted false conspiracy theories on his show about the company being involved in election fraud. Fox and Dominion settled the lawsuit out of court last week for $787.5 million.
Key Background
Lemon has long been one of the most recognizable figures at CNN. He hosted his own primetime show, Don Lemon Tonight, between 2014 and 2022, before he was moved to co-host a new morning show as part of a well-publicized network restructuring under CEO Chris Licht.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2023/04/24/don-lemon-fired-by-cnn-minutes-after-tucker-carlson-out-at-fox-news/