Don Lemon gets $24.5M from CNN and will be back… on X

Following his departure from CNN the previous year, Don Lemon is said to have reached a significant agreement with the network. According to TheWrap and Page Six, he would be entitled to $24.5 million, equivalent to his salary for the remaining three and a half years of his contract.

Don Lemon paid $24.5M to settle ouster from CNN: report https://t.co/FLhYZYns1Q pic.twitter.com/6gmzv9Z1CT

— Page Six (@PageSix) February 27, 2024

Don Lemon’s career at CNN came to an end after controversial comments about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, resulting in the termination of his long association with the network.

Despite his journalistic experience, Lemon made a controversial on-air remark suggesting that Nikki Haley, at 51, was no longer in her prime. The statement drew criticism, forcing Lemon to issue a public apology.

The incident proved decisive, leading to Lemon’s departure from the news channel. Her words also received considerable media coverage. This incident was not the first to create controversy within the CNN team, according to several sources.

Although TheWrap corroborated the settlement figures, CNN publicly disputed them. A CNN spokesperson said the network does not comment on the contractual details of its employees, but said the amount put forward was inaccurate.

Don Lemon’s relationship with CNN ended during a turbulent period for the network, notably with the departure of then CEO Chris Licht. Don was shocked that CNN management did not inform him directly of his dismissal.

Don Lemon is reportedly preparing to make a comeback with his new project, The Don Lemon Show, soon to be launched on Elon Musk’s… X platform! Lemon described the upcoming program as “bigger, bolder and freer”.

He also praised Elon Musk’s X platform as a frontier of free expression.

So he joins Tucker Carlson in this bold direction, to say the least…

Lemon’s fans will be watching closely to see how the show unfolds on Platform X and whether it marks a shift in influence for the journalist whose media voice has been a mainstay for over a decade.