Staff Reports
Don Lemon’s career at CNN is in jeopardy, according to an insider. The source said that Lemon was taking a “holiday” from his duties amid an uproar over a sexist remark last week. Whether Lemon returns depends on “where his head is at,” according to the insider.
Awkward. Supercut by @CurtisHouck of Don Lemon and Kaitlan Collins interrupting each other on just one broadcast of CNN This Morning. pic.twitter.com/8hw23vFtsT
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) February 6, 2023
The controversy began when Lemon questioned Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley’s viability as a candidate based on her age. Lemon said Haley, who is 51, “isn’t in her prime,” appearing to compare childbearing with a political career. He later attempted to walk back his comments on Twitter, but he did not apologize to Haley directly.
CNN CEO Chris Licht even admitted he was disappointed with Lemon, as all the signs of the progressive media host’s career coming to an end are more evident than ever. According to one CNN source, the matter had led to “ongoing conversations about Don’s future.”
The Daily Beast headlined the report on Lemon’s demise titled, “Don Lemon Benched on Monday Over Sexist Remark Scandal, Insiders Say.” Last year, Lemon was demoted from his primetime show, which no one watched. Then his morning show, which no one watched either, bombed completely after averaging just 331,000 viewers. Besides having bust-ups with co-hosts and accusations of sexism, Lemon’s career appears to be in free fall.
A clip of Lemon interrupting his co-hosts live on air went viral on Twitter, furthering the perception that he was not fit for the role. “He is a constant distraction,” a CNN insider told The Daily Beast. As The Daily Fetched reported earlier this month, CNN’s new show “CNN This Morning” had the lowest ratings for a morning program in almost a decade.
The future of Don Lemon’s career at CNN is uncertain as the network weighs the consequences of his controversial comments. Lemon’s reputation has been tarnished by a series of incidents that have caused him to be viewed as a distraction and liability to the network. His primetime show and morning show both failed to garner viewers, and he has been accused of sexism and bust-ups with co-hosts.
Lemon attempted to walk back his comments on Twitter but did not apologize directly to Haley. CNN CEO Chris Licht expressed disappointment in Lemon, and there have been ongoing conversations about his future at the network. It remains to be seen whether Lemon will be able to salvage his career at CNN or if he will be gone forever.
The preceding article is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Daily Fetched
