Don Lemon has been fired by CNN, the longtime anchor announced in a tweet published Monday morning.
“I was informed this morning by my agent I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” Lemon wrote.
Lemon continued: “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play.”
Lemon ended his statement with a thank you to his colleagues.
“With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run,” he wrote. “They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best.”
CNN chairman Chris Licht confirmed Lemon’s departure Monday in a statement obtained by The New York Times, which says: “CNN and Don have parted ways. Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”
Licht continued: “CNN This Morning has been on the air for nearly six months, and we are committed to its success.”
The 56-year-old anchor’s exit from CNN This Morning came months after he received backlash for comments he made about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley being “past her prime.”
Don Lemon made the remarks during a Feb. 16 episode of CNN This Morning, while discussing politicians’ ages in a segment with co-hosts Poppy Harlow, 40, and Kaitlan Collins, 30.
“This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable,” Lemon said, alluding to comments Haley, 51, has made suggesting that politicians over the age of 75 should be forced to take mental competency tests. “I think it’s the wrong road to go down.”
Lemon continued, “She says … politicians are not in their prime. Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime. Sorry. A woman is considered to be in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”
Asked by Harlow to clarify what he was trying to say, Lemon responded, “That’s not according to me. … If you Google ‘When is a woman in her prime,’ it’ll say 20s, 30s and 40s. I don’t necessarily — I’m not saying I agree with that.”
Hours later, Lemon apologized on social media for his comments. “The reference I made to a woman’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it,” he tweeted. “A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.”
