CNN reported on April 25, 2023, that it has parted company with longtime host Don Lemon. Before leaving, he co-hosted “CNN This Morning” alongside Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins.
“Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years,” said CNN CEO Chris Licht in a memo to staff. “We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”
In a statement, Lemon stated that he had not been contacted by CNN on the decision to end his appointment. He stated that he learned of the decision on Monday morning through his agent, and that management did not have the decency to inform him directly.
“I am stunned,” Lemon said. “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.”
Lemon joined CNN in 2006 and hosted the prime-time show “Don Lemon Tonight” for over eight years before moving on to host “CNN This Morning.” He previously worked at Fox and NBC affiliates before becoming a correspondent on Today and NBC Nightly News.
Lemon amassed a sizable fortune while at CNN. According to Yahoo News, his fortune stemmed primarily from his work at the network, where he hosted Don Lemon Tonight and CNN This Morning.
CNN reportedly paid him an annual salary of almost $4 million. However, according to Celebrity Net Worth, his estimated net worth is around $12 million.
The former TV host’s time at CNN, however, was not without controversy. He was widely criticised earlier this year for making misogynistic remarks. During an on-air conversation about a Republican presidential candidate, he contended that Nikki Haley, 51, “isn’t in her prime,” adding that a woman is “considered to be in her prime during her 20s, 30s, and maybe 40s.”