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Longtime anchor Don Lemon says he was unexpectedly fired by CNN, but the network claims he was "offered an opportunity to meet with management."
On Monday (April 24), Lemon blasted CNN on Twitter as he announced his termination, per NBC News.
"I am stunned," Lemon wrote. "After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly."
Lemon first joined CNN in 2006. The anchor faced backlash over sexist comments he made on air in February.
While discussing Nikki Haley’s presidential bid, Lemon argued on CNN This Morning that the 51-year-old former South Carolina governor "isn't in her prime." He cited that women are only “considered to be in their prime in [their] 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”
Despite pushback from co-anchors Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, Lemon doubled down on his comments during a separate segment later that day.
Chris Licht, the network's chief executive, previously announced that Lemon was mandated to participate in formal training in the wake of his comments. However, Variety reported earlier this month that Lemon has a checkered past of hostile behavior toward women.
According to Variety, more than a dozen former and current colleagues came forward to speak on Lemon's past behavior.
A spokesperson for Lemon described the report as "disappointing" and "reckless."
“The story, which is riddled with patently false anecdotes and no concrete evidence, is entirely based on unsourced, unsubstantiated, 15-year-old anonymous gossip,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
In the wake of the report, CNN said in a statement that it was unable to “corroborate the alleged events from 15 years ago.”
Lemon said Monday that he was never "given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network.”
However, CNN fired back at Lemon's statement calling it "inaccurate."
"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."
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