Despite exiting CNN more than two years ago, Don Lemon recently shared that he’s actually still under contract with the cable network and will be for a while.
While discussing his career with Semafor, Don Lemon was asked about if he ever felt the audience at CNN diminishing while he was still there.
That led Lemon to share that he likely couldn’t be as candid as he would like.
“You guys have to remember — this is probably news to you — but I’m still under contract for CNN for another year or so,” Lemon shared. “So I have to be careful.”
He added that he’s seen criticism of him that shares that he hasn’t been hired by another television network because he’s undesirable or persona non grata. However, Don Lemon said it’s because he isn’t technically available.
“That’s why you haven’t really seen me in many other places, because I’m still under a non-compete. (People say) ‘You can get a job. You suck.’ I’m not looking! I can’t. So, I’m doing what I can do under the terms of my contract.”
Don Lemon exited CNN on April 24, 2023, mere moments after Fox News fired Tucker Carlson. His departure came after several high-profile controversies and clashes with new leaders put in place at the network.
Lemon also noted that he believes his show at CNN was successful because he more closely aligned with another cable news juggernaut.
“I never saw myself sort of as a traditional news person, even though I had the journalist chops,” he said. “People were more interested in who I was, and I think that helped tell the news. They were interested in the news, but they were interested in who I was. They found me to be a very interesting person because I took a lot of risks. As a personality, I think that was maybe more akin to a Fox News personality, because I just said it.”
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
