Don Lemon, a prominent figure at CNN for 17 years, has been unexpectedly fired from the network.
What Happened: CNN CEO Chris Licht announced the departure in a statement on Monday, saying, “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.”
Lemon was disappointed with the network's handling of his termination, saying on Twitter that he was informed by his agent rather than CNN, which is owned by Warner Bros Discovery Inc WBD. Lemon added that he had no indication that he would be let go.
The sudden exit comes after Lemon made controversial remarks about women and aging in February, according to the New York Times, which were widely regarded as sexist. Licht publicly rebuked Lemon for his comments — although Lemon later apologized and agreed to undergo corporate training, his popularity with audiences had diminished, and some guests refused to appear on-air with him.
Lemon's termination follows closely on the heels of another high-profile media exit, that of Tucker Carlson from Fox News.
While the exact reasons for Carlson's departure remain unclear, some speculate that it may be related to the recent Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit, in which Fox paid a staggering $787.5 million settlement.
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