Don Lemon claims he was sexually harassed throughout his tenure at CNN.
The previous Don Lemon Tonight host detailed two alleged incidents throughout his time on the community in an interview on the Sunday, March 16, episode of the “Membership Random With Invoice Maher” podcast. Lemon labored for CNN from 2006 via 2023 when he was fired.
“I’ve been harassed by ladies and men within the [workplace]. It’s ridiculous,” Lemon, 59, instructed Maher early on of their dialog. “There are some issues which can be actually egregious, however not all the pieces is Harvey Weinstein degree.”
Lemon, who’s brazenly homosexual, continued, “I keep in mind after I was in Atlanta and I used to be within the cafeteria [at CNN]. … This younger girl tweaked my nipples and mentioned, ‘Oh, it’s chilly in right here.’ I mentioned, ‘OK, you understand that if I did that they’d be strolling me out the door proper now?’”
The tv journalist mentioned he “didn’t care to go to HR, I didn’t say something, as a result of it’s a double commonplace.”
On one other event, Lemon alleged {that a} feminine coworker propositioned him when he spent the evening at her home following a piece operate. He mentioned he had been supplied to remain in a spare room following the occasion, noting that, on the time, there weren’t available taxi companies corresponding to Uber.
“I by no means instructed this story. Somebody who I labored with additionally harassed me at CNN and I by no means went to administration,” Lemon mentioned. “To start with, I used to be so new there. She knew I used to be homosexual. It was simply weird. She was going via a divorce … it was bizarre.”
“I by no means went to administration. To start with, I assumed, ‘OK, they could discover a method to eliminate me as a result of if I instructed this story, I don’t know in the event that they’re gonna consider me or not,’” he continued. “However then she was so imply to me after that, I used to be like, ‘I ought to have instructed the story.’”
Us Weekly has reached out to CNN for remark.
Lemon additionally mentioned he was molested as a baby, which he felt ready him to take care of undesirable consideration as an grownup.
“I understand how to say [no],” he mentioned. “You know the way to take care of it and you understand what’s essential or not. And you understand who has the ability. As a person I’ve the ability to say, ‘I don’t need to do that.’ I don’t must go to HR and damage your profession. I simply let you know, ‘I’m not , miss. We have been drunk. We had a few drinks or no matter. Let’s let it go.’”
In April 2023, Lemon was fired by CNN after 17 years on the cable information community. “Don will perpetually be part of the CNN household, and we thank him for his contributions over the previous 17 years,” then-CNN CEO Chris Licht instructed employees in a memo on the time. “We want him properly and will probably be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”
If you happen to or somebody you understand has been sexually assaulted, contact the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).