Don Lemon | |
---|---|
Born | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. | March 1, 1966
Education | Brooklyn College (BA) |
Occupation | Journalist |
Employer | CNN (2006−2023) |
Political party | Independent[1] |
Partner(s) | Tim Malone (2017−present; engaged) |
Awards |
Don Lemon[2] (born March 1, 1966) is an American television journalist best known for being a host on CNN from 2014 until 2023. He anchored weekend news programs on local television stations in Alabama and Pennsylvania during his early days as a journalist.[3] Lemon worked as a news correspondent for NBC on its programming, such as Today and NBC Nightly News. Lemon is also a recipient of an Edward R. Murrow Award in 2002 for his coverage of the capture of the Washington, D.C. snipers. He also received three regional Emmy Awards for his special report on real estate in Chicago and a business feature on craigslist.[4]
He joined CNN in 2006, also as a correspondent and later achieved prominence as the presenter of Don Lemon Tonight from 2014 to 2022. He most recently served as a co-host of CNN This Morning, alongside Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow. After several on-air controversies and reports of alleged decades-long instances of sexism and misogyny he was fired from CNN in April 2023.[5]
Early life and education
Lemon was born March 1, 1966, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the son of Katherine Marie (Bouligney) and Wilmon Lee Richardson.[6][7] His father was a prominent attorney, who was part of a lawsuit successfully challenging segregation of public transportation in Baton Rouge.[8] Lemon was born under the surname of his mother's then-husband, and discovered that Richardson was his father when he was five. He is of mostly African-American ancestry, along with Creole; his maternal grandmother was the daughter of a black mother and a white father, who had French and Scots-Irish ancestry.[8][9] He attended Baker High School, a public high school in the town of Baker in East Baton Rouge Parish. Lemon was voted class president during his senior year.[10]
Lemon attended Louisiana State University where he was a Republican and voted for Ronald Reagan.[10] He later graduated from Brooklyn College with a major in broadcast journalism in 1996 at the age of 30. While at Brooklyn College, he interned at WNYW.[11][12] He worked for Fox affiliates in St. Louis and Chicago for several years,[10] and was a correspondent for NBC affiliates in Philadelphia and Chicago.[10]
Career
Regional reporter
Early in his career, Lemon reported as a weekend news anchor for WBRC in Birmingham, Alabama, and for WCAU in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For several years he was an anchor and investigative reporter for Fox affiliate KTVI in St. Louis, Missouri, and Fox's Chicago affiliate.[13] Lemon reported for NBC News's New York City operations, including working as a correspondent for both Today, and NBC Nightly News; and as an anchor on Weekend Today and programs on MSNBC. In 2003, he began working at NBC owned-and-operated station WMAQ-TV in Chicago, and was a reporter and local news co-anchor.[13] He won three Emmys for local reporting while at WMAQ.[14]
CNN (2006−2023)
Lemon joined CNN in September 2006.[13] He has been outspoken in his work at CNN, criticizing the state of cable news and questioning the network publicly.[15] He has also voiced strong opinions on ways that the African American community can improve their lives, which has caused some controversy.[16]
In 2014, CNN began to pilot prime time shows hosted by Lemon, including The Eleventh Hour and The Don Lemon Show. Following the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Lemon began to host a special, nightly program featuring discussion and analysis of the event by aviation experts.[17] After a realignment of CNN's schedule following the cancellation of Piers Morgan Live, this hour was replaced by the news program CNN Tonight; Lemon would later become the permanent host of the hour as CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.[18] Lemon has also participated in CNN's New Year's Eve Live as a correspondent from a city in the Central Time Zone, most often alongside fellow CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin.[19][20][21]
In May 2021, it was announced that Lemon, along with CNN fellow journalist Chris Cuomo, would launch a podcast named The Handoff centering around "politics and personal".[22] On May 17, CNN Tonight with Don Lemon was retitled to simply Don Lemon Tonight; Lemon apologized for how he teased the rebranding on his show, stating that he "didn't mean to set the internet on fire"—in reference to viewers who thought that Lemon would be departing CNN.[23][24]
In February 2022, CNN announced Lemon would be hosting a talk show for CNN's then-forthcoming streaming service CNN+ called The Don Lemon Show.[25] Two episodes were released in the service's sole month of operation in April 2022.[26]
On September 15, 2022, it was announced that Lemon would co-anchor a new CNN morning show with Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow later in the year.[27] On October 12, 2022, it was announced that the morning show would be named CNN This Morning.[28] Lemon's tenure on the show ended with his April 2023 firing.[5][29]
Political commentary
Lemon's outspoken criticism of Donald Trump made him a target of the president.[30] In January 2018, after Trump controversially referred to countries such as El Salvador, Haiti, and Honduras as "shitholes" during a meeting on immigration, Lemon opened CNN Tonight with a proclamation that "The president of the United States is racist. A lot of us already knew that."[31] In March 2016, Lemon was interviewing Omarosa Newman and Kellyanne Conway about the Republican presidential primary. Lemon cut to a commercial break after calling for Newman's microphone to be turned off because she did not want to begin the interview with his original question about a tweet comparing the physical appearances of Trump's wife and US Senator Ted Cruz's wife, which Trump had retweeted.[32]
In October 2018, during a discussion with Chris Cuomo on Cuomo Prime Time amid the Jeffersontown shooting, Lemon argued that Americans should not "demonize any one group or any one ethnicity", and that domestic terrorism by white supremacist Americans, "most of them radicalized to the right", were a bigger threat to the safety of the country than foreigners. He went on to ask, "there is no travel ban on [white people], they have the Muslim ban, there is no white guy ban, so what do we do about that?" Lemon's remarks were criticized by conservative figures, who felt that it was "race baiting" and contradicted his suggestion that Americans should not "demonize any one group or any one ethnicity." In response to the criticism, Lemon cited data from a report by the Government Accountability Office stating that there had been 255 fatalities between September 12, 2001, and December 31, 2016, involving domestic extremists, and that killings by far-right extremists outranked those by Islamic extremists in 10 of the 15 years tracked. In the same period, no deaths were credited to attacks by far-left extremists.[33][34][35]
Involvement in Jussie Smollett case
Lemon faced accusations of unethical journalism during the trial of the Jussie Smollett hate crime hoax case. It was revealed during court testimony that Lemon had sent Smollett messages informing him that the Chicago Police Department did not believe his account of what had happened on the night in question. Lemon who covered the trial on his CNN show Don Lemon Tonight did not disclose his involvement or his interactions with Smollett.[36][37]
Allegations of sexism and misogyny
In December 2022, Lemon was involved in an onscreen argument with co-anchors Collins and Harlow over the pay inequity in women's sports. Lemon argued that "people are more interested in the men". In defending his stance, he stated that he could not be sexist because he had grown up as the only male in a family of all women.[38]
On February 19, 2023, after Nikki Haley called for "mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old"; Lemon said "this whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable, I think it is the wrong road to go down", before continuing "She says people, you know, politicians or something are not in their prime. Nikki Haley isn't in her prime, sorry. A woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s". His remarks were criticized online as sexist; Lemon later apologized,[39][40] and did not appear on CNN This Morning on February 20;[41] he returned on February 22.[42]
In April 2023, Variety published a report alleging that Lemon had a history of misogynistic behavior towards his colleagues, including Soledad O'Brien, Kyra Phillips and Nancy Grace, dating back to 2008. This reportedly included questioning whether O'Brien was black, threatening Phillips, and mocking Grace.[43][44] A spokesperson for Lemon denied the allegations, saying, "The story, which is riddled with patently false anecdotes and no concrete evidence, is entirely based on unsourced, unsubstantiated, 15-year-old anonymous gossip."[45][46]
Firing from CNN
On April 24, 2023, Lemon was fired by CNN; his contract would have expired in 2026.[47] According to The New York Times, CNN had experienced difficulty in booking guests willing to appear on-air with Lemon, and polls had shown his popularity among viewers had declined.[47] Lemon said that the firing came as a surprise, and that the network had failed to inform him in person, which CNN denied.[48] This coincidentally occurred on the same day that Tucker Carlson was fired by Fox News.[5][29]
Honors and awards
In 2002, Lemon won an Edward R. Murrow Award for his coverage of the capture of the D.C. area sniper, and other awards for reports on Hurricane Katrina.[49][50][10] In 2006, he earned three Chicago / Midwest Emmy Awards—one for a business feature about Craigslist real estate listings, "Life on Craigslist",[lower-alpha 1] and two for reporting on the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, "Journey to Africa"[lower-alpha 2]—while reporting for WMAQ-TV in Chicago.[51][14]
Lemon was voted as one of the 150 most influential African Americans by Ebony magazine in 2009.[52] In 2014, The Advocate listed Lemon as one of the publication's 50 Most Influential LGBTQ People in Media.[53]
In December 2016, Lemon was honored with a Native Son Award, named after James Baldwin's Notes of a Native Son (1955), recognizing and to "encourage the increased visibility and impact of black gay men in society".[54] In 2017, Out named him on its Power 50 list of "the most influential LGBTQ people in the USA."[55]
In June 2019, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village, New York, an event widely considered a watershed moment in the modern LGBTQ rights movement, Queerty named him one of the Pride50 "trailblazing individuals who actively ensure society remains moving towards equality, acceptance and dignity for all queer people".[56][57]
Personal life
Lemon lives in an apartment in Harlem and has another home in Sag Harbor on Long Island, New York.[58]
During an on-air interview with members of Bishop Eddie Long's congregation in September 2010, Lemon discussed being sexually molested when he was five or six by a neighbor teenage boy, and that it was not until he was thirty that he told his mother about it.[59][10]
In his 2011 memoir, Transparent, Lemon publicly came out as gay—having been out in his personal life and with close colleagues—becoming "one of the few openly gay black men in broadcasting".[50][60][61] He also discussed colorism in the black community and the sexual abuse he suffered as a child.[62] He dedicated the book to Tyler Clementi, a college student who killed himself after his roommate outed him online. Lemon also stated that he has known about his sexuality since the age of five or six.[63]
In October 2017, he received death threats laced with racial slurs; he filed a police report detailing the incident.[64]
On January 31, 2018, Lemon's sister, L'Tanya "Leisa" Lemon Grimes, died at the age of 58; police concluded that her death was an accidental drowning in a pond while fishing.[65] After being absent for approximately a week, he opened his show on February 6 by thanking everyone who wished him "prayers and words of encouragement".[66]
Lemon met real estate agent Tim Malone in 2017, after which the two began dating.[67] The couple announced in April 2019 that they were engaged to be married.[68]
Published works
See also
Notes
References
- ↑ Concha, Joe (November 3, 2018). "CNN's Don Lemon reveals political affiliation". The Hill. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
- ↑ Don Lemon, "...the internet has my name wrong...", "...my middle name is not Carlton...", "my name is not Donald—just Don", Don Lemon Tonight, December 1, 2021
- ↑ "African American History. Don Lemon". March 28, 2013. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- ↑ "Finding Your Roots: Don Lemon". Finding Your Roots. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
- 1 2 3 Madani, Doha (April 24, 2023). "Don Lemon says he has been fired from CNN". NBC News. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ↑ "Don Lemon: Address; Distinguished Alumnus Award". Brooklyn College. February 19, 2011. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011.
- ↑ Williams, Kam (August 21, 2013). "Don Lemon talks journalism, coming out and his 'March on Washington' special". The Bay State Banner. Archived from the original on May 14, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
- 1 2 Stated on Finding Your Roots, April 20, 2021
- ↑ "CNN Roots with Don Lemon: An Étouffée of Stories". Ancestry Blog. October 16, 2014. Archived from the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brodesser-Albert, Taffy (April 21, 2015). "Don Lemon Is the Anchor America Deserves". GQ. Photography by Chris Buck. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ↑ Concha, Joe (January 2, 2019). "CNN's Lemon mistakes local reporter for ex-girlfriend during New Year's Eve telecast". The Hill. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- ↑ "CNN Profiles - Don Lemon - Anchor". CNN. Archived from the original on December 1, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
- 1 2 3 "Don Lemon". CNN. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
- 1 2 Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP (November 19, 2006). "2005-2006 Emmy Recipients" (PDF). Chicago/Midwest Chapter National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Williams, Wyatt (December 22, 2011). "Can Don Lemon set CNN straight?". clatl.com. Creative Loafing (Atlanta). Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ↑ Brett, Jennifer (August 2, 2013). "Fact-checking CNN's Don Lemon". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on August 4, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2013.
- ↑ Brodesser-Akner, Taffy (April 20, 2015). "Anchorman: The Legend of Don Lemon". GQ. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
- ↑ "CNN Tonight with Don Lemon Is Now Don Lemon Tonight". TVNewser. May 15, 2021. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ↑ Bennett, Anita (January 1, 2020). "Don Lemon Rings In New Year With Song And Dance Live On CNN". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ↑ Duffy, Nick (January 2, 2020). "Gay CNN anchor Don Lemon rings in the New Year with his annual tradition of getting drunk on live TV". PinkNews. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ↑ Gilmer, Marcus (January 1, 2017). "Don Lemon got real (drunk) on New Year's Eve". Mashable. Archived from the original on October 10, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ↑ Brisco, Elise (May 13, 2021). "Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon's banter is moving from screen to audio with new podcast 'The Handoff'". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
- ↑ "Don Lemon Announces Departure From 'CNN Tonight' (Video)". TheWrap. May 15, 2021. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ↑ "Don Lemon 'set the internet on fire' over name change to show". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ↑ Tran, Sophie (February 1, 2022). "Don Lemon to Host New Talk Show on CNN+". CNN Press Room. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
- ↑ "Shows A-Z - don lemon show, the on cnn plus". The Futon Critic. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
- ↑ Darcy, Oliver (September 15, 2022). "CNN announces it will debut new morning show with Don Lemon, Poppy Harlow, and Kaitlan Collins". CNN. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
- ↑ DAVID BAUDER, Associated Press (October 12, 2022). "CNN reveals name, start date for new morning show". The Hill. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved October 20, 2022.
- 1 2 Reimann, Nicholas. "Don Lemon Fired By CNN—Minutes After Tucker Carlson Out At Fox News". Forbes. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ↑ Derysh, Igor (November 8, 2018). "Benjamin Matthews: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
- ↑ Schmidt, Samantha (January 12, 2018). "This is CNN Tonight. I'm Don Lemon. The president of the United States is racist". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 5, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
- ↑ "Watch: Don Lemon Goes off on Omarosa for Skirting Donald Trump Question". March 27, 2016.
- ↑ Concha, Joe (October 31, 2018). "Don Lemon: 'White men' are biggest terror threat to US, and there is no travel ban on them". The Hill. Archived from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
- ↑ "CNN's Don Lemon calls white men the 'biggest terror threat' in America, and data backs him up". Global News. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ↑ Bever, Lindsay (November 1, 2019). "CNN's Don Lemon doubles down after saying white men are 'the biggest terror threat in this country'". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ↑ "Don Lemon Faces 'Ethical Questions' Over Jussie Smollett's Tip-Off Testimony". Newsweek. December 9, 2021. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ↑ "CNN's Don Lemon Criticized for Not Mentioning His Role in Jussie Smollett Incident". Complex. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ↑ "Don Lemon On U.S. Men's Soccer Team: 'If They Make More Money, Then They Should Get More Money'". news.yahoo.com. December 8, 2022. Archived from the original on April 12, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
- ↑ Barr, Jeremy; Ellison, Sarah (February 16, 2023). "CNN's Don Lemon says he regrets comment about women's 'prime' age". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
- ↑ McCarthy, Mia (February 17, 2023). "Haley: CNN anchors age comment 'rolls off my shoulders'". Politico. Archived from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ↑ "Embattled Don Lemon absent Monday from 'CNN This Morning'". ABC News. Associated Press. February 20, 2023. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
- ↑ Barr, Jeremy (February 22, 2023). "Don Lemon returns to CNN but does not mention controversy on air". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
- ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (April 5, 2023). "Don Lemon's Misogyny at CNN, Exposed: Malicious Texts, Mocking Female Co-Workers and 'Diva-Like Behavior'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ↑ Stieb, Matt (April 5, 2023). "Don Lemon Is Reportedly a Misogynist Off-Camera, Too". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ↑ Mastrangelo, Dominick (April 5, 2023). "CNN's Don Lemon threatened female coworker in 2008: report". The Hill. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ↑ Saad, Nardine (April 5, 2023). "Don Lemon fires back on '15-year-old gossip' after report alleging misogyny, rule-flouting". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- 1 2 Grynbaum, Michael M.; Koblin, John; Mullin, Benjamin (April 24, 2023). "Don Lemon, CNN Star Anchor, to Leave the Network". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ↑ Hines, Morgan. "'I am stunned': Don Lemon fired by CNN, network disputes details". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
- ↑ Farrell, Mike (April 16, 2019). "CNN Tonight's Don Lemon to Host Cable Center Hall of Fame". Multichannel. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- 1 2 Watts, Lawrence (September 15, 2011). "Interview: Don Lemon, CNN's openly gay anchorman". Pink News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ↑ "CNN Profiles - Don Lemon - Anchor". CNN. Archived from the original on December 1, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ↑ "CNN NEWSROOM transcript: Rep. Earl Pomeroy Discusses Saberi Conviction in Iran; Justice Department Releases New Details on Bush Administration Terror Policy; 'Ebony' Magazine's Power 150; Maryland Tragedy". CNN. April 18, 2009. Archived from the original on February 14, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- ↑ "The 50 Most Influential LGBT People in Media". The Advocate. September 16, 2014. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ↑ Rook, Erin (December 4, 2016). "First ever Native Son Awards celebrate Don Lemon and other black gay men". LGBTQ Nation. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ↑ Blas, Lorena (July 19, 2017). "Who tops the 'Out' Power 50 list of LGBTQ influencers?". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ↑ "Queerty Pride50 2019 Honorees". Queerty. June 25, 2019. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ↑ "Don Lemon stares down death threats to call out racism & homophobia". Queerty. June 25, 2019. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ↑ Halberg, Morgan (January 19, 2018). "Don Lemon Offloads Spare Harlem Abode". Observer. New York City. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ↑ Lemon, Don (September 25, 2010). "CNN Reporter Don Lemon Says That He Was Attacked By A Pedophile!". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
- ↑ Childry, Lawayne (November 4, 2015). "Get Inspired by This Black Gay Journalist's Triumph". The Advocate. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ↑ Folkenflik, David (May 16, 2011). "Livelihood 'On The Line', Anchorman Reveals He's Gay". NPR. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
- ↑ Carter, Bill (May 15, 2011). "Gay CNN Anchor Sees Risk in Book". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ↑ Watts, Lawrence (September 15, 2011). "Interview: Don Lemon, CNN's openly gay anchorman". Pink News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ↑ Paiella, Gabriella (2017). "Don Lemon Files Police Report After Getting Twitter Death Threat". The Cut. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
- ↑ "CNN host Don Lemon's sister tragically died in a Louisiana fishing accident". Newsweek. February 2, 2018. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
- ↑ "Don Lemon Returns to CNN After His Sister's Death: Your Prayers Have 'Meant the World to Me'". Mediaite.com. February 7, 2018. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018. Retrieved February 7, 2018.
- ↑ Cole, Brendan (April 8, 2019). "Who is Tim Malone? CNN's Don Lemon says he will marry long-time partner". Newsweek. Archived from the original on August 28, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
- ↑ Richards, Kimberly (April 6, 2019). "Don Lemon Announces His Engagement To Tim Malone". HuffPost. Archived from the original on April 7, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2019.