Whereas Fox Information is at present dealing with fallout from its ongoing lawsuit battle in opposition to Dominion Voting Techniques, CNN is coping with a controversial scenario of its personal due to Don Lemon’s past-her-prime feedback about presidential hopeful Nikki Haley. The outspoken anchor has been off the air for the reason that begin of the backlash, which arguably started in-segment due to pushback from co-anchors Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, however is now confirmed to be returning this week after a number of apologies have been voiced. It doesn’t appear to be the controversy might be totally concluded, nonetheless.
When Don Lemon Is Returning To CNN
Regardless of some hypothesis that Don Lemon would possibly misplaced his day job over his feedback, CNN’s huge boss Chris Licht shared a memo with the community’s stacked workers on Monday evening to interrupt the information that the anchor might be again on the air beginning on Wednesday, February 22. Right here’s what he mentioned within the memo, in accordance with the Day by day Beast:
Don Lemon took a time without work the Friday after his feedback have been made on the air, which included him questioning why the 51-year-old Nikki Haley was talking about others’ psychological capacities when she herself is, should you have a look at “Google or no matter it’s,” previous her prime. Lemon claimed that such analysis would present that ladies are in peak mode of their “20s, 30s, and 40s.”
Lemon’s post-segment apology on Twitter didn’t precisely go over properly with the surface world, and an analogous response was granted to his call-in apologies to CNN staffers on Friday morning. He was finally pulled from his duties for Monday’s CNN This Morning. Nonetheless, he and Chris Licht reportedly met up early Monday to hash issues out, coming to no matter settlement led the community head honcho to disclose to others that Lemon can be again.
Don Lemon hasn’t precisely sparked a complete lot of optimistic headlines and goodwill within the final 12 months or so. He managed to duck an assault lawsuit in mid-2022 after his accuser dropped it, however grew to become embroiled in one other one when former CNN character Chris Cuomo sued the community for firing him over ties to brother Andrew Cuomo’s downfall.
As famous in Chris Licht’s memo, a part of the stipulations for Lemon returning to his co-anchor spot on CNN This Morning will revolve round him collaborating in some form of formal coaching, although these particulars weren’t relayed. One might assume there might be some form of lessons or conferences that should instruct and inform about gender equality and office habits. Although it doesn’t sound like his colleagues on the community consider this to be a correct punishment for feedback that he doubled-down on throughout the section.
Whereas Lemon could also be holding onto regular employment at CNN, the anchor has apparently dropped out of an upcoming occasion for which he’d been introduced as a moderator. He was set to be entrance and heart for Brokers of Change, which is described as being “a dialog about race and actual property in honor of Black Historical past Month,” and is being held on Tuesday, February 21.
In accordance with TMZ, Lemon was reportedly involved about how his personal damaging publicity would possibly have an effect on protection of the occasion, which fell in keeping with the views shared by occasion coordinators for the corporate Douglas Elliman. As such, he exited, and has been changed by actual property dealer John Gomes because the moderator.
Anticipate for some extra on-air apologies every time Don Lemon is again on the small display screen, and doubtless count on quite a lot of social media reactions about it, regardless of which method it goes. Lemon has drawn criticisms elsewhere for taking Stephen Colbert’s outfit feedback far too personally, and he was additionally vocal about jokes that Dave Chappelle made about him onstage.