Don Lemon’s CNN ouster was a ‘business decision’ and ‘long time coming,’ says exec

According to insiders, the decision was not related to any one thing, but a sum of parts. And it certainly didn’t help Lemon that internal research showed he “wasn’t working” with CNN’s female-skewed audience in the morning, a network executive told TheWrap.

The exec said Lemon’s missteps on the morning show were costing CNN advertising dollars and booking the show was becoming problematic as some guests became reluctant to appear with him on “CNN This Morning”.

“It was a business decision,” the person said.

As Warner Bros. Discovery continued to undertake cost-cutting measures, some media insiders thought that Lemmon was being discarded for financial reasons. Perhaps, Licht needed to free up budget for his latest high-profile hires, Gayle King and Charles Barkley? but it’s not like that. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to TheWrap that Lemon will be paid her reported three-year contract Last year got inked when he moved in the morning – which has a balance of about $25 million.

Lemon’s move from his titular primetime show “Don Lemon Tonight” to mornings was always seen as a demotion. The move represented Licht’s first major programming move, and the network spin at the time was that he chose Lemon because he thought the anchor could help the network succeed in mornings.

But another network insider told TheWrap, “I believe it was a whole plan to set Don up to fail in the morning. But Don accelerated it with his behavior.

“It was a long time coming,” the executive also said of Lemon’s ouster.

To add fuel to the fire, some of WBD’s top executives and board members were not fans of Lemmon, Brian Stelter (who was let go last year when the network canceled his long-running media talk show “Reliable Sources”). did) and opinion shows on CNN. Licht made it clear early in his tenure that he wanted to create a less partisan news network.

Representatives for CNN and Lemon did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s requests for comment.

Lemon said in a statement about his dismissal, “It’s clear that there are some big issues at play,” which seems pretty accurate after what insiders told TheWrap.

It’s almost hard to believe that just two years ago in May 2021, Lemon was slated to be one of the network’s most high-profile faces, with his primetime show being changed from “CNN Tonight with Don Lemon” to “Don Lemon Tonight.” Branded as. He joined CNN in 2006 and quickly rose from correspondent to one of the news network’s top personalities.

Lemon was sent around the world to cover some of the biggest stories and quickly achieved celebrity status as CNN’s most prominent black anchor. He really began to hit his stride when he was chosen to host his own primetime show and often went viral for his “Don’s Take” op-ed segments in which he criticized former President Donald Trump, racial injustice, guns Directly targeted at violence and speeches. out on LGBTQ issues. Lemon’s show aired back to back with former CNN host Chris Cuomo, and the two had such good chemistry that the on-air handoff between the two gents spawned a podcast. He co-hosted CNN’s New Year’s Eve special with then-anchor Brooke Baldwin, often making news for their antics during the broadcast.

Insiders told TheWrap that Lemon had reservations about moving from his own primetime show to mornings, but he didn’t see the CNN story ending that way.

Now 17 years at CNN and only a few months after landing a new gig as morning show host, Lemon finds himself unemployed.

“I was notified this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN,” Lemon posted on his social media on Monday. “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have the decency to tell me straight. At no point was there any indication to me that I would not be able to continue doing the work I love at the network.”

CNN clapped back saying it reached Lemmon.

The network said, “Don Lemon’s statement regarding this morning’s events is incorrect.” “He was given an opportunity to meet with management, but instead issued a statement on Twitter.”

The anchor’s ouster came two months after Lemon hit the headlines with a controversial comment commenting that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley “isn’t past her peak,” adding that a woman should “be in her 20s.” are said to be in their prime in the 30s, and 30s” maybe 40s.

The comment infuriated her co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlyn Collins, prompting Licht to condemn the comments in a staff meeting, saying Lemon’s “remarks were troubling, unacceptable and inappropriate to her co-hosts, and ultimately Was a great distraction for great work.” This organization.

Lemon later apologized for the comments and resumed her “CNN This Morning” co-hosting duties the following week after attending “formal training”.

But the hits kept coming for Lemon this month. Variety also published a report that revealed some uncharacteristic behavior over the cable news anchor’s vast career, including allegations of misogyny, mocking female staffers, and reckless “diva-like” behavior—allegations that Lemon vehemently denied.

Additional reporting by Lori Seitz,