Sunny Hostin Stood By Her Friend Don Lemon After His Bitter CNN Firing
Don Lemon took fans by surprise on April 24, 2023, when he announced on Twitter that he'd been fired from CNN after 17 years with the network. Saying he was shocked by the decision, the longtime anchor claimed he had learned the news from his agent, rather than his manager, and blasted the cold termination – something CNN later disputed.
The reason for the sudden departure appeared to be a long history of troublesome on-set behavior that came to a head in February 2023. That's when, during an episode of "CNN This Morning," Lemon made ageist and sexist comments about Nikki Haley being past her prime, which got him booted off the air temporarily. After getting a generic apology out of the way, Lemon agreed to receive formal training and returned to the show, which some fellow news personalities did not appreciate. Megyn Kelly, for example, tweeted a set of scathing lessons for Lemon to learn as he headed back to work, including, "Women are not damaged goods when they hit 40."
In the end, Lemon's comeback was short-lived and plenty of folks were happy to see him go. Like Meghan McCain who snarkily tweeted, "It's a bad day to be a misogynist on cable man..." Someone who was in his corner, though, was his former colleague Sunny Hostin. The ex-CNN legal analyst told People, "I think we're seeing the media go backwards" because they let go of an outspoken person of color.
Sunny Hostin went to bat for Don Lemon
The day after Don Lemon's firing from CNN was made public, the ladies of "The View" discussed the surprise layoff and Sunny Hostin was quick to go to bat for the disgraced anchor. After giving a disclaimer that she and Lemon had been friends for 20 years and so, she was potentially biased, she argued, "Our offices were directly across from each other, for most of that time that I worked there, and I will say that I don't believe — in my experience with him — that he's a misogynist." Despite the fact that she and Lemon had heated debates on-air, Hostin said she was surprised by the news and angered by people comparing Lemon to Tucker Carlson who was fired by Fox on the same day.
While she did concede that Lemon's comments about Nikki Haley were inappropriate, Hostin argued that he deserved forgiveness because he apologized and received formal training. "I think he loves women," she added. "He loves his mother. He loved his sister. He loves me." She later shared a similar sentiment with People, saying, "I know him extremely well, and it doesn't make sense to me." Hostin even went as far as to say she didn't believe the accusations and reiterated, "He has spoken up and spoken out for women."
Meanwhile, "View" co-host Sara Haines pinned the decision on a management change while Alyssa Farah Griffin added that Lemon was likely to have no trouble finding another lucrative gig.
Inside Don Lemon's history of questionable behavior
Don Lemon's criticism of Nikki Haley may have been the final straw, but according to an explosive Variety investigation from April 2023, it was not his first indiscretion. After speaking with over 12 former and current colleagues, the outlet uncovered a long list of questionable behavior, running back to Lemon's time co-hosting "Live From" with Kyra Phillips in 2008. Insiders alleged that Lemon was jealous of Phillips' success and went as far as to tear up personal documents and photos which she kept at her desk. He also reportedly sent her threatening text messages from an unknown number, including one that allegedly read: "Now you've crossed the line, and you're going to pay for it."
Lemon was eventually moved to another program, but insiders said he remained openly hostile toward female colleagues. They told Variety he made misogynistic comments openly, acted like a "diva," showed up late for work, and dated a junior employee. "As fast as you could make a rule, Don would bend it," said one senior exec while Soledad O'Brien slammed, "Don has long had a habit of saying idiotic and inaccurate things."
Recently, New York Post learned of Lemon reportedly yelling at CNN This Morning" co-host Kaitlan Collins. He also allegedly complained about working with Anderson Cooper because Cooper got more airtime.
As of June 2023, Lemon has yet to make a comeback, but he's in no rush. "I'm not gonna force anything," he told ABC24 Memphis.