Former network anchor and co-host of “CNN This Morning” Don Lemon has settled a dispute over his 2023 firing, former CNN executive Allison Gollust confirmed to Forbes Wednesday, in an undisclosed agreement that comes 10 months after Lemon said he was “stunned” by his sudden ousting.
TheWrap on Tuesday cited unnamed sources in reporting CNN would pay Lemon his full salary for the 3.5 years that was left on his contract when he was fired by the network last April, which amounts to roughly $24.5 million.
Gollust, who replied on behalf of Lemon to an email sent to his agents at United Talent Agency, confirmed the settlement, but did not confirm any details.
Lemon recently announced he would launch a new show called The Don Lemon show on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and said he was coming back “bigger, bolder, freer.”
Gollust resigned as CNN’s chief marketing officer in February of 2022 amid a controversy over her relationship with former network president Jeff Zucker and the behavior of CNN anchor Chris Cuomo. An investigation by a third-party law firm found that Cuomo had improperly advised his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, about how to address sexual misconduct allegations, and he was fired in December 2021. That investigation also revealed a consensual relationship between Zucker and Gollust, who worked for two decades as Zucker’s right hand. Zucker resigned on Feb. 2, 2022, and weeks later she also resigned. Lemon and Zucker were known to be close in their time at CNN, and in July of 2023 Lemon, Zucker and Gollust were seen vacationing in Italy together for the wedding of Jay Sures, Lemon’s agent through United Talent Agency.
Lemon was fired from CNN in April of 2023 after almost two decades with the network. By then, he’d spent five months co-hosting “CNN This Morning” alongside Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow, after losing his prime-time show. He said at the time he was “stunned” by the news and blasted the network’s leadership, saying: “I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly.” CNN confirmed he had been let go from the network but disputed Lemon’s version of events, saying he was “offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.” The news came after several months of controversy involving the anchor. The month before his ousting, Lemon was suspended for suggesting women—specifically referring to Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, then 51—are “considered to be in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.” In early April, Variety released a bombshell report accusing Lemon of clashing with female colleagues and exhibiting “diva-like behavior.”
The news of Lemon’s firing came minutes after cable rival Fox News announced it would “part ways” with popular conservative anchor Tucker Carlson. It was later revealed he’d been fired. Conservative leaders celebrated Lemon’s termination at CNN, including former President Donald Trump, who called Lemon “the dumbest man on television.” Trump called Carlson a “very good man” and praised the former Fox host’s “high ratings” and for being “terrific.”
