Don Lemon Says “Life Goes On” While Walking TIME 100 Red Carpet After Sudden CNN Termination

By Raven Brunner @raventbrunner
Published April 27, 2023, 10:38 a.m. ET

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Don Lemon? More like Don “Easy Peasy” Lemon Squeezy.

On Wednesday (April 26), the former CNN anchor opened up about his recent termination during a red carpet for the TIME 100 Gala in New York.

Lemon was suddenly dropped by the network on Monday (April 24) after nearly two decades working there. He previous co-hosted the talk show CNN This Morning alongside Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins. 

Since, the show has continued without him at the helm. 

The anchor fielded a few questions from the press about his exit, telling Variety that he’s taking things slow: “I don’t have to rush to another job — even if I want another job.”

He continued, “I want to work again. But I am lucky enough to be in a position where I don’t have to worry about those things.”

Lemon also gave comments along the same lines to Entertainment Tonight and Extra.  “I’m doing well, and I’m here to celebrate. I’m happy to be here… I am happy to be moving in a new direction,” he told ET. “I’m going to miss all the talented people and journalists at CNN, who are my friends and who I love, and who I’ve been speaking to… I’m fine, life is good.”

While speaking to Extra, he said, “I think my statement speaks for itself. Yeah, it was a surprise. But life goes on. That’s behind me, and we’ll see what happens in the future.”

At the time of his termination, Lemon said he was “shocked” by CNN’s decision and claimed that nobody in management personally informed him. 

“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 wrote in a statement posted to social media.

CNN denied Lemon’s claims, saying, “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,” in a statement. 

Lemon was recently mandated to participate in “formal training” after being pulled off air for making inappropriate comments about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.

Variety then published an explosive report detailing the anchor’s “volatile” behavior, citing several examples of Lemon retaliating against colleagues. In response, Lemon slammed Variety‘s reporting, calling it “false” and “15-year-old anonymous gossip.”

Last week, he made a backhanded remark about Jon Stewart while on air and dismissed his guest, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, for spreading misinformation about the Civil War. 

His former colleagues, Harlow and Collins, commented on Lemon’s firing during Tuesday’s (April 25) show and wished the dethroned anchor “the best.”

“Don was a big part of this show over the last six months. He was one of the first anchors on CNN to have me on his show. That’s something I’ll obviously never forget,” Collins said.