Politics
NEW: Don Lemon Reveals He Was Assaulted At CNN
Former CNN host Don Lemon has made a bombshell allegation, revealing on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast that he experienced sexual harassment from both men and women during his tenure at the network.
Lemon, who was fired from CNN in 2023, shared his account during the Sunday episode, detailing instances of inappropriate behavior he endured while at the network.
“I remember when I was in Atlanta and Iwas in the cafeteria—commissary, whatever—at CNN, and this woman, young lady, tweaked my nipples and said, ‘Oh, it’s cold in here.’ And I said, ‘Okay, you realize if I did that, they’d be walking me out the door right now,'” Lemon told Maher
“But I didn’t—I didn’t care. I didn’t go to HR. I didn’t say anything because I… it was just like—it’s a double standard,” Lemon explained.
Lemon continued with a second instance, saying, “I’ve never told this story before. Someone I worked with also harassed me at CNN, and I never went to management. It was a woman, and she knew I was gay. It was bizarre—she was going through a divorce, and it was just weird.”
New York, NY, USA – April 25, 2018: Don Lemon attends the Brooks Brothers Bicentennial Celebration at Jazz At Lincoln Center, Manhattan
“I never went to management. I thought, ‘okay, they may find a way to get rid of me because if I told the story, I don’t know if they’re going to believe me or not.’ But then she was so mean to me after that, I was like—I should have told the story.”
Though he did not name specific individuals, Lemon described the harassment as occurring in professional settings outside the newsroom, such as cocktail parties and other work-related events.
“We were at a restaurant and they were drinking, they’re like, ‘Oh my God, look at you. You’ve lost weight, you look so hot,’” Lemon recalled.
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 28: Don Lemon attends Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show” World Premiere at David Geffen Hall on October 28, 2019 in New York City.
Maher pressed Lemon on whether he felt these experiences were taken seriously. Lemon responded, “It works both ways.”
When Maher questioned whether these incidents were commonplace in the industry, Lemon acknowledged the prevalence of inappropriate behavior. “It was not in the office but yeah, it’s all… won’t go that far. So you had to be with her in certain business occasions with outside the office, like at a cocktail party, places like that.”
WATCH:
Lemon also spoke about how his life has changed since leaving CNN. “My husband says, ‘Don, more people recognize you now than when you were on CNN.’ I’m like, really?”
Lemon is best known for his tenure at CNN, where he hosted Don Lemon Tonight and co-anchored CNN This Morning. He worked at CNN from 2006 until 2023, when he was fired following controversies over his on-air comments and reported workplace behavior.
Before CNN, he worked at NBC News. Lemon has been a vocal commentator on political and social issues.
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