Sophia Michaels
Don Lemon is being fired from his position on CNN. This is his 4th firing and last one was over him being racist. What is going on here?
For much of his career, Don Lemon was a beloved on-screen mainstay due to his perceived warm demeanor and his journalistic professionalism. At the same time, the TV personality often drew controversy because of misogynistic comments he’s made on-air. For example, in 2014, Lemon’s interview with a victim of convicted predator Bill Cosby caused outrage when he asked her an inappropriate question suggesting she could have prevented the assault. Other reports suggest that Lemon has an alleged history of mistreating his female co-workers, including Nancy Grace and “Live From” co-host Kyra Phillips.
Most recently, the anchor drew criticism for his on-air statements about former Southern Carolina governor and Republican 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley. On the February 16 episode of “CNN This Morning,” host Lemon insinuated that Haley had passed “her prime” as a woman. Shortly after receiving online scrutiny, he apologized via Twitter, writing, “The reference I made to a woman’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant … A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.”
After the February 16 episode, CNN put Lemon on a brief hiatus before letting him back behind the desk less than a week later. Things were seemingly going smoothly until Variety published a damning exposé on April 5 interviewing the CNN alum’s former colleagues and detailing his alleged “malicious” and “diva-like behavior.” Lemon’s firing comes almost three weeks after the exposé’s release.
