After being fired from CNN earlier this week, Don Lemon says he is not angry. “It’s not in my nature,” the 57-year-old writer told Page Six on Wednesday night at the TIME 100 gala. “I’m not an angry or mad guy. Lemon says he is no longer shocked by his firing, even though he tweeted that he was “stunned” by it. He says, “I’m a very strong person.”
“I’ve had a very full life with many ups and downs. I come from a strong, robust Louisiana family, and I’m lucky that I don’t have to worry about not having a place to live, a home, or anything else.” Lemon, who was there with his soon-to-be-husband Tim Malone, gave tribute to Malone.
Don Lemon stays composed
“I’m surrounded by people who love me, like this man right here,” he said, pointing to Malone. “So, I’m good.” The author of “Transparent” is happy even though he doesn’t know what his future holds. “I’m getting upset,” he said.
“There’s a reason this happened, and we’ll see what happens in the future, but I’m here to celebrate the people from the TIME 100, not to talk about myself and what’s happened to me.” Monday, Lemon wrote on Twitter that he was being fired.
“This morning, my agent told me that CNN was letting me go,” he wrote. “I’m taken aback. You’d think that after 17 years at CNN, someone in charge would have had the decency to tell me directly.” “No one ever told me I couldn’t keep doing the work I loved at the network,” he said.
“It’s clear that there are bigger things going on.” Lemon went on to praise his “colleagues and the many teams” with whom he has worked, calling them “the most talented journalists in the business.”
CNN Communications said on Twitter soon after the news broke that Lemon’s story was “inaccurate.” “What Don Lemon said about what happened this morning is not true.” “He was offered a meeting with management, but instead he put out a statement on Twitter,” the statement said.
Page Six asked what the difference was, but Lemon wouldn’t say. This year, the host of “Don Lemon Tonight” got in trouble for sexism when he said on radio that presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who is 51 years old, “isn’t in her prime.”
“A woman is thought to be at her best in her 20s, 30s, and maybe even her 40s,” he said. Poppy Harlow was a little confused, so she asked Lemon if he meant “ready to have kids” or “ready to be president.” Lemon didn’t back down.
“If you Google, ‘When is a woman at her best?,’ you’ll see that the answer is in her 20s, 30s, and 40s,” he said. “I’m not saying I agree with that, but I think she should be careful about saying that politicians aren’t in their prime.”
He took a leave of absence and, while he was gone, apologized to Harlow and Kaitlan Collins on an internal call. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to hurt anyone,” Lemon said, according to a recording obtained by The Washington Post.
Before going back to the anchor station, Lemon said he was sorry to everyone. The journalist said in a tweet that he was happy to be back on @CNNThisMorning today. “I’m sorry to my network, to my coworkers, and to our amazing audience.”
“I’ve heard you, I’m learning from you, and I’m committed to doing better,” he said. “I’ll see you soon.” Some of the people at the dinner were Austin Butler, Kim Kardashian, Drew Barrymore, Natasha Lyonne, Salma Hayek, Doja Cat, Lea Michele, and Jennifer Coolidge.
