There’s been quite a shakeup in the cable news landscape this week, as Fox News parted ways with longtime commentator Tucker Carlson on the same day that CNN fired Don Lemon amid multiple workplace misconduct allegations. Both men have since broken their silence, and while the former seems to be questioning the content of modern cable news, Lemon seemed to be in a good place, despite his removal from CNN after 17 years. In fact, when speaking to reporters at the Time 100 Gala, he said he was doing “great.”
Don Lemon was apparently blindsided by the news of his firing — which came months after backlash over perceived sexist comments and a few weeks after reports of “volatile” behavior against some of his CNN colleagues. The anchor appeared on the air on the morning of April 24, before revealing on Twitter just hours later that he’d been informed of his termination. You’d never have known that, however, by his comments to USA TODAY at the April 26 gala, where he told reporters:
I'm going to enjoy my summer, spend it on the beach and have a great time, that's it. I'm great.
The reveal of Don Lemon’s summer plans come as he is apparently gearing up for a legal battle against CNN, in the case that his former employer would deny him the $25 million he’s allegedly owed due to the terms of his contract, which ran through 2026. His lawyer Bryan Freedman will also reportedly be looking into whether Lemon could be eligible for further damages in regards to the conditions of his termination.
I suppose the promise of a beach vacation and $25 million payout would have anyone in high spirits, and Don Lemon went on to say that it’s not in his nature anyway to stay mad about his circumstances. He told Page Six:
It’s not in my nature. I’m not an angry person, I’m not mad. I’m a very resilient person. I’ve had a very full life with lots of twists and turns. I come from strong, sturdy stock in Louisiana and I am lucky enough to be in a position where I don’t have to worry about, you know, not having a place to live or a home or whatever.
Perhaps the topic of career changes came up as the embattled journalist and his longtime partner Tim Malone rubbed elbows with Kim Kardashian at the Time 100 Gala. The billionaire entrepreneur admitted at the 2023 TIME100 Summit earlier this week that she would “absolutely” be willing to give up her reality TV career to become an attorney full time.
Speaking of career shakeups, Tucker Carlson seemed to be skeptical about the state of cable news in his first public comments since getting the ax from Fox News. He said after he stepped “outside the noise” for a few days, he had come to notice “how unbelievably stupid most of the debates you see on television are. They're completely irrelevant. They mean nothing. In five years, we won't even remember that we had them.”
It sounds like he also may be seeking a change for the future. We’ll have to see where the cards fall for Don Lemon and the rest, and in the meantime, you can check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what shows are premiering soon.
