Don Lemon issued a statement claiming he was fired from CNN on Monday morning (April 24). The broadcaster shared an image of a written memo posted on social media claiming the network did not properly advise him of the decision.
“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN,” began the 57-year-old. “I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network.”
He continued to allude to possible motives for his firing and shared gratitude in the process, writing “It is clear there are some larger issues at play. With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best.”
A tweet shared by the CNN Communications team responded to Lemon’s social media statement with a different story.
“Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter,” wrote the account.
CNN issued a statement of its own regarding the matter. In a statement published by the network, CEO Chris Licht shared “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years,” adding “We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”
In February, the news anchor came under fire for sexist comments made on CNN This Morning against South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley regarding women “being in their prime” in their 20s and 30s. Following the controversy, Lemon agreed to participate in formal training, per Licht.
Earlier this month, however, the host was accused of sending threatening text messages to his co-workers and behaving like a “diva,” with incidents dating back to 2008.