Senior Anchor and host of CNN morning show Don Lemon has been fired from the network after 17 years. The anchor himself broke the news on Twitter stating that "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." He said that he was "stunned" by the company's decision.
But CNN has the other side of the story, saying the decision has not been taken in haste. His termination has come in the wake of his off-camera behavior within the organization.
In February Lemon made an unwelcoming remark against presidential hopeful, 51-year-old Nikki Haley, suggesting she is too old for the job. When pressed by a female co-anchor on whether Lemon meant "prime for childbearing" or "prime for being president," Lemon responded, "Don't shoot the messenger. It's like prime. If you look it up. If you Google When is a woman in her prime, it'll say the 20s, 30s, and 40s." After this, he was sent on temporary leave.
CNN Chief Executive Chris Licht announced Lemon would undergo some type of "training" following the incident while the anchor tweeted an apology for his comments.
Don Lemon also had a history of sexist and misogynistic behavior that went unchecked at CNN for far too long, according to Variety's report. he was accused of harassing previous female coworkers and sending threatening text messages to his presumed rivals if they got better reporting tasks. His late-night programs ratings were also falling consistently. After that, he was shifted to the morning show. However, his co-workers kept complaining about his high-headed behavior. Finally, he was axed from CNN.
However Lemon looks completely in dissent with the way the decision has been taken. He has also shared his disagreement on Twitter saying that no one had the decency to tell him the 'next' even after working there for 17 years.
Experts feel that story is not going to end here, there will be a lawsuit, as he reportedly had an extensive contract with CNN till 2026. Experts in employment and discrimination law feel that employees like Lemon typically have more rights than regular employees, and there is a high chance that Lemon will use them. And probably there will a settlement after that.
