Don Lemon, CNN Star Anchor, to Leave the Network

 

Don Lemon, CNN Star Anchor, to Leave the Network

 

Mr. Lemon, one of the network’s most recognizable stars, had been under scrutiny since an uproar over on-air remarks he made about women and aging in February.

 

Michael M. GrynbaumJohn KoblinBenjamin Mullin

By Michael M. Grynbaum, John Koblin and Benjamin Mullin

April 24, 2023

Updated 12:59 p.m. ET

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/24/business/media/don-lemon-cnn.html

 

Don Lemon is out at CNN.

 

CNN said on Monday that it was parting ways with Mr. Lemon, a star anchor who was a fixture of the network’s prime-time lineup before enduring a short but controversial tenure as a morning show co-host.

 

“CNN and Don have parted ways,” the network said in a statement on Monday. “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”

 

The network said Mr. Lemon’s morning show, which he hosted with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, would continue. “‘CNN This Morning’ has been on the air for nearly six months, and we are committed to its success,” CNN said.

 

Mr. Lemon, 57, appeared on air on Monday morning as normal. Three hours after he signed off, he issued a scathing statement on Twitter aimed at his employer.

 

“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN,” Mr. Lemon wrote. “I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. 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.”

 

One of CNN’s most recognizable stars, Mr. Lemon had a reputation as a fiery political commentator during his eight years as a prime-time anchor. But inside the network, he began to lose support after he made remarks in February about women and aging that were widely perceived to be sexist. The incident generated a national uproar and a rare public rebuke from CNN’s chairman, Chris Licht.

 

Mr. Lemon had asserted on-air that Nikki Haley, the 51-year-old Republican presidential candidate, “isn’t in her prime, sorry,” adding, “A woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.” He dismissed the objections of his female co-hosts by responding, “I’m just saying what the facts are — Google it.” He later apologized to the CNN newsroom and agreed to a corporate training program to address his on-air behavior.

 

Allies of Mr. Lemon had hoped he would turn the page from the incident. But executives at CNN gradually concluded that his future at CNN had become untenable, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity because the internal discussions were sensitive.

 

In recent weeks, CNN’s bookers had discovered that some guests did not want to appear on-air with Mr. Lemon, and research on the morning show reviewed by CNN executives found that his popularity with audiences had fallen, one of the people said.

 

Monday’s announcement capped a dramatic fall for Mr. Lemon, who just seven months ago was happily ensconced in a prime-time anchor chair. His long-running 10 p.m. program, “Don Lemon Tonight,” drew fans for his spiky exchanges and pull-no-punches commentary on politics and the Trump White House.

 

Mr. Lemon imported that persona to “CNN This Morning,” but it was an awkward fit for an hour when many viewers — making breakfast and getting children off to school — want easygoing patter, not thundering monologues.

 

Tensions also emerged between Mr. Lemon and one of his co-anchors, Ms. Collins. In December, “CNN This Morning” crew members were rattled after a backstage incident where Mr. Lemon accused Ms. Collins of interrupting him too often.

 

Mr. Lemon has a long history at CNN, and his outsize public profile meant that executives were willing, for a time, to be patient with him.

 

He joined the network in 2006 from a local NBC station in Chicago. In 2011, he made waves when he acknowledged in a memoir what many of his colleagues already knew: he is gay. At the time, few national television newscasters were out in public. Mr. Lemon was upfront about what he described as the risks of coming out as a Black man, sharing his concerns “that people might shun me.”

 

In recent weeks, CNN leaders were hopeful that Mr. Lemon would adjust to his new morning-show role and that higher ratings would follow.

 

Last Wednesday, Mr. Lemon made headlines again after a highly contentious on-air exchange with Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate. The segment deteriorated as the men fiercely debated questions of Black history and the Second Amendment; Mr. Lemon’s co-anchor, Ms. Harlow, could be seen sitting silently beside him, at times casting her gaze elsewhere and scrolling through her smartphone.

 

The incident left several CNN leaders exasperated, the people said.

 

Mr. Lemon’s exit introduces the possibility of an entire overhaul of “CNN This Morning,” which started in November. Ms. Collins, a former White House correspondent, recently drew solid ratings during a weeklong run as a substitute host at 9 p.m., fueling speculation within the network that she might be considered for a permanent position in the time slot.

 

“CNN This Morning” was a marquee initiative of Mr. Licht, a former morning-show producer who succeeded Jeff Zucker as CNN’s leader in May 2022. The show has gotten off to a very slow start in the ratings, and struggled to keep pace with its predecessor, “New Day.”

 

At an appearance last week at the Paley Center for Media, Mr. Licht said that mornings were “the most competitive” hours in television.

 

“It’s the last bastion of passive television viewing, really, where you’re getting your kids ready, or you’re brushing your teeth,” Mr. Licht said. “To launch a new show takes time. And so it absolutely has had growing pains, and it will absolutely continue to evolve.”

 

In September, shortly after Mr. Lemon’s new morning role was announced, the anchor issued a statement praising Mr. Licht.

 

“I was honestly floored when Chris Licht asked me to do this, and I’m honored by his belief in me,” Mr. Lemon wrote at the time, adding, “Set your alarms folks, because we’re going to have a lot of fun.”

 

Michael M. Grynbaum is a media correspondent covering the intersection of business, culture and politics. @grynbaum

 

John Koblin covers the television industry. He is the co-author of “It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO.” @koblin

 

Benjamin Mullin is a media reporter for The Times, covering the major companies behind news and entertainment. @benmullin