Former CNN host Don Lemon has largely stayed out of the public eye since he was let go by the cable news giant not long after some controversial comments about women of a certain age being past their prime. As a popular newsman with more than a decade of on-air experience, the internet initially speculated about where he might end up, but over the past few months, the rumor mill has been unexpectedly quiet, at least until now.
Lemon recently hosted a party at his Long Island home to celebrate the release of Sunny Hostin’s new novel Summer On Sag Harbor. Radar Online claims the talking head was seen “buttering” up The View host, as well as her co-star Joy Behar. That tracks with a story The National Enquirer wrote on the same event, which claimed Lemon put a ton of effort into the planning and execution of the party. There’s also been unconfirmed reports that he reached out to Whoopi Goldberg directly and spoke to her about how he’d love to be a guest host or even permanent co-host on the long-running ABC talk show.
Now, everything about this story, at this point in time, should be treated as a rumor. Neither Don Lemon nor anyone involved with The View has commented on the matter publicly, and there are some pretty obvious reasons to be skeptical. That being said, there are also some reasons to think this isn’t as far-fetched as it might seem. So, let’s jump in here and talk out what passes the smell test and what does not.
First and most obviously, it’s a bit weird to think about Don Lemon allegedly angling to become the first male co-host of The View when he was just fired from CNN not long after making comments many felt were sexist. Prior to his termination, there were also more than a few stories going around featuring quotes about how some women at the network didn’t love working with him and felt he talked over them. On paper, he doesn’t exactly sound like an ideal candidate to jump into a job working with a panel of women. Throw in the fact that these reports only quote unnamed sources, and there’s plenty of reason to be skeptical.
That being said, in other ways, it’s pretty easy to imagine Don Lemon on The View. During his time on CNN, his work sometimes bridged the gap between harder news and celebrity culture, which is right there in the wheelhouse of The View. He would offer instant credibility to the show if it wanted to push a bit harder into politics and/ or more complicated social issues. He’s also a bit of a mini-celebrity in his own right and has long shown a flair for personal fashion and style. Add in his willingness to speak his mind on any issues and disagree with others, and he’d add a fun dynamic.
Plus, if other rumors are to be believed, The View may need a bit of a shake-up regardless. Some whispers of a possible cancellation have been going around with some at the network allegedly fed up with all the controversies and the disagreements between the hosts. That seems far-fetched given it still does well in the ratings, but there may be some truth to frustration at the network over all the bad publicity.
It’s hard to imagine The View would simply add Lemon as a co-host without a trial run. Rival The Talk added Jerry O’Connell to change up the dynamic back in 2021, and his presence was well-received by fans. But that doesn’t mean The View is eager to add a man to the panel, nor does it mean it’s eager to add this specific man who would seemingly come with some baggage. So, for now, this should be treated as nothing more than a very interesting rumor, but if he's announced at some point in the future as a fill-in or temporary guest host, don't be surprised.
