Don Lemon’s CNN Colleagues Claim Long History Of Misogyny In Bombshell Report
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Don Lemon reportedly displayed a troubling pattern of misogyny long before his comments about 2024 presidential candidate Nikki Haley temporarily took him off the air.
A new exposé from Variety accuses the CNN anchor of having a history of inappropriate behavior toward female colleagues that spans over the last “two decades.”
Drawn from the accounts from over a dozen of his former co-workers, the report details Lemon allegedly antagonizing peers (including CNN stars Nancy Grace and Soledad O’Brien), belittling female co-anchors on-air, and even reportedly waging a text message harassment campaign against a rival reporter.
Don Lemon attends a pre-Grammys celebration in Beverly Hills in February 2023.
Lemon came under fire in February after he told CNN viewers former United Nations ambassador Haley was a poor option for the Republican presidential candidate, saying she was no longer “in her prime.”
His comments were condemned by both the left and the right as sexist. Lemon tweeted an apology, calling his remarks “inartful and irrelevant,” adding that he was “committed to doing better” going forward.
The anchor was pulled from the desk for two days, returning after the network said he received “formal training.”
But according to Variety, the Haley incident was not a one-off, but instead highlighted Lemon’s history of hostility toward women in the workplace, as well as his ability to evade consequences.
Sources recalled Lemon mocking colleague Grace mid-broadcast in 2008, reportedly threatened by her rising star at the network.
“That was the beginning of when you knew that Don was kind of volatile and didn’t say good things about women,” a witness to the Grace incident claimed.
Others remembered a staff meeting where the newsman, angry that O’Brien was set to host CNN’s “Black in America” docuseries, openly questioned her race. Over 30 staffers were in attendance.
Don Lemon (center) poses with "CNN This Morning" co-anchors Kaitlan Collins (left) and Poppy Harlow (right) in December 2022. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for CNN)
Though O’Brien wasn’t at the meeting, she told Variety the incident was “on-brand” for Lemon, noting, “Don has long had a habit of saying idiotic and inaccurate things.”
A CNN spokesperson told Variety that Lemon “denied” referencing O’Brien’s race “in a derogatory way.”
Another accusation dating back to 2008 claims tensions between Lemon and “Live From” co-anchor Kyra Phillips escalated to frightening levels after she landed a coveted on-the-ground assignment in Iraq.
Upon her return, she received a pair of threatening text messages from an unknown number, reportedly warning Phillips she “crossed the line” and would ”pay for it,” sources told Variety.
After bringing the threats to CNN’s attention, the company allegedly was able to trace the texts back to Lemon. He was subsequently pulled from his job opposite Phillips and moved to weekend broadcasts, according to Variety.
The CNN spokesperson told Variety that “Don says the alleged incident never occurred and that he was never notified of any investigation.”
Other accounts say Lemon exhibited “diva-like behavior,” and was prone to skipping important meetings, showing up late to the newsroom or being otherwise disengaged from work.
Sources also said Lemon’s relationships with higher-ups like Turner Broadcasting System’s CEO Phil Kent and, later, CNN President Jeff Zucker, let him skirt any serious consequences.
CNN broadly denied the report in a statement to HuffPost.
“The Variety story provides no actual proof, and instead relies on anonymous sources and unsubstantiated claims from 10 to 15 years ago,” a spokesperson said. “CNN is unable to corroborate the alleged accounts.”
A representative for Lemon told HuffPost that Variety’s story was “riddled with patently false anecdotes,” contains “no concrete evidence,” and is “entirely based on unsourced, unsubstantiated, 15-year-old anonymous gossip.” They added, “It’s amazing and disappointing that Variety would be so reckless.”
After Zucker’s ouster from CNN in 2022, Lemon returned to weekday mornings on “CNN This Morning” that November. It was his first assignment with female co-anchors since his conflict with Phillips over a decade prior.
Lemon’s comments regarding Haley occurred four months later.
Read Variety’s full story here.
