Don Lemon‘s new show on X has been canceled before its first episode even aired. The former CNN host announced the news on Wednesday, March 13, saying it came after a “tense” interview with X owner Elon Musk.
In an Instagram video, Don, 58, revealed The Don Lemon Show will still be dropping on March 18 as scheduled, via YouTube, and that he still plans to post the show on X.
“Elon publicly encouraged me to join X with a new show, saying I would have his ‘full support,’” as he was “interested in working directly with diverse voices,” Don said in a statement.
His interview with Elon, 52, was to kick off The Don Lemon Show, and Don claimed they agreed to a “respectful and wide ranging” discussion and “there were no restrictions on the interview that he willingly agreed to.”
“His commitment to a global town square where all questions can be asked and all ideas can be shared seems not to include questions of him from people like me,” Don added.
In an Instagram video, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana native declared, “Elon Musk is MAD at me and I just put out a statement about what happened about him, me and the interview he is apparently so upset about.”
Don said a “whole lot went down” that he would go deeper into it in the coming days.
“Throughout our conversation I kept reiterating to him, although it was tense at times, I thought it was good for people to see our exchange,” he continued. “But apparently free speech absolutism doesn’t apply when it comes to questions about him from people like me.”
In a statement via Business X’s page, the company wrote, “X is a platform that champions free speech, and we’re proud to provide an open environment for diverse voices and perspectives. The Don Lemon Show is welcome to publish its content on X, without censorship, as we believe in providing a platform for creators to scale their work and connect with new communities.”
It continued, “However, like any enterprise, we reserve the right to make decisions about our business partnerships, and after careful consideration, X decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show.”
Elon personally hit out at Don via X in a post several hours after the newsman’s Instagram video.
“His approach was basically just ‘CNN, but on social media,’ which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying. And, instead of it being the real Don Lemon, it was really just Jeff Zucker talking through Don, so lacked authenticity,” the billionaire Tesla founder wrote, comparing him to the former CNN boss.
“All this said, Lemon/Zucker are of course welcome to build their viewership on this platform along with everyone else,” Elon added.
Don was fired by CNN in April 2023 after joining the network in 2006. At the time, he was anchoring CNN This Morning.
He announced his termination via X, then known as Twitter, writing, “I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. 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.”
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