OAN Staff James Meyers
12:53 PM – Thursday, August 1, 2024
Fired CNN anchor Don Lemon filed a lawsuit on Thursday against Tesla founder and X boss Elon Musk for refusing to pay him after a partnership with the social media platform was buried.
Lemon was canned in March by Musk immediately after a contentious interview with the former anchor, over an alleged breach of contract and using his name to spark interest from possible advertisers, according to the filed complaint.
“This case is straightforward. X executives used Don to prop up their advertising sales pitch, then canceled their partnership and dragged Don’s name through the mud,” said Lemon’s attorney Carney Shegerian.
“You don’t have to be a genius to see the fraud, negligence, and reputational damage here. Don is an accomplished and hard-hitting journalist who’s committed to defending his good name and holding X’s executives accountable. We look forward to our day in court,” he added.
The lawsuit alleges that he agreed to a one-year deal worth more than $1.5 million, as well as a 60% cut in ad revenue and performance-related bonuses based on how many followers his show picked up.
For the first episode in March, Musk agreed to sit down for an interview with Lemon. Within one day of taping, the lawsuit claimed he texted Lemon’s agent to let them know the deal was off.
Musk criticized Lemon after he announced the show was canceled earlier this year.
“His approach was basically just ‘CNN, but on social media,’ which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying,” Musk said at the time.
The former CNN This Morning anchor was fired in April 2023 after multiple on-air controversies, which included his infamous statement that GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley (R-S.C.) was not “in her prime” and should not comment on the age of other politicians.
Lemon also had spats with co-host Kaitlan Collins, allegedly “screaming” at her off-camera, which added to Lemon’s ultimate firing from the company.
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