Former CNN host Don Lemon says Elon Musk has terminated a earlier settlement to air his new program after the billionaire proprietor of X (previously Twitter) was sad about an interview between the 2.
“Elon Musk is mad at me,” stated Lemon in a video posted to the social media network. “There’s an entire lot that went down and I’m going to let you know about it within the coming days.”
In a separate assertion posted to X, Lemon stated, “Elon Musk has canceled the partnership I had with X. . . . He knowledgeable me of his resolution hours after an interview I carried out with him on Friday.”
Lemon says the interview, which shall be revealed on March 18 on YouTube and main podcast distribution websites (in addition to posted to X), would be the inaugural episode of his present. He didn’t talk about the content material of the dialog, however several reports say it included questions on Musk’s use of ketamine.
X, on Wednesday, posted a statement in regards to the dispute, saying, “we’re proud to supply an open setting for numerous voices and views. The Don Lemon Present is welcome to publish its content material on X, with out censorship, as we consider in offering a platform for creators to scale their work and join with new communities. Nonetheless, like several enterprise, we reserve the correct to make selections about our enterprise partnerships, and after cautious consideration, X determined to not enter right into a business partnership with the present.”
Elon Musk additional addressed the choice, tweeting, “His strategy was mainly simply ‘CNN, however on social media,’ which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the truth that CNN is dying. And, as a substitute of it being the true Don Lemon, it was actually simply Jeff Zucker speaking via Don, so lacked authenticity. All this stated, Lemon/Zucker are in fact welcome to construct their viewership on this platform together with everybody else.”
Lemon’s representatives didn’t reply to a request for remark by Quick Firm. Chatting with the Wall Road Journal, nevertheless, a Lemon spokesperson stated the journalist “has a take care of X and expects to be paid for it. If we’ve got to go to courtroom, we are going to.”
The phrases of the contract between Lemon and X weren’t publicly introduced when the partnership was unveiled in January, however Kara Swisher described it as a “multimillion-dollar deal” that “was a dear effort to draw excessive profile media creators to X.” It was round that very same time that YouTuber MrBeast rejected an appeal by Musk to submit his fashionable movies to X.
“Elon publicly inspired me to hitch X with a brand new present, saying I’d have his ‘full help’ and that his ‘digital city sq. is for all,’” Lemon’s assertion learn. “His dedication to a world city sq. the place all questions might be requested and all concepts might be shared appears to not embody questions of him from folks like me. . . . Whereas Elon goes again on his phrase, I shall be doubling down on my dedication to free speech and I can’t wait to get began.”
The announcement of the deal between Lemon and X in January got here after six months of negotiations.
Lemon was, at one time, considered one of CNN’s most seen anchors and a favourite of former CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker, who resigned from the community in early 2022 after failing to acknowledge a consensual relationship with one other community govt. Lemon was fired from the network last April, two months after he made on-air feedback about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley being previous her prime. (Lemon apologized for these feedback.)
Lemon categorized the choice as a shock, writing on then-Twitter, “After 17 years at CNN, I’d have thought somebody in administration would have the decency to inform me instantly.” CNN, on the time, stated Lemon had been given the chance to satisfy with administration however selected as a substitute to launch a press release on the social media community.
The community and Lemon reached a settlement in a dispute about his termination final month, which TheWrap reported would web him $24.5 million.