After much speculation, Don Lemon, the former prime time host of CNN, has reached an agreement to part ways with the network.
Sources exclusively informed TheWrap that Lemon, 57, has finalized a separation deal with CNN, valued at approximately $24.5 million. This sum represents the entirety of his compensation from his last contract, which spanned 3.5 years following his departure, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Lemon’s transition from his prominent primetime slot to morning programming alongside hosts Caitlin Collins and Poppy Harlow drew attention from CNN leadership. He attracted criticism for suggesting that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, aged 51, was beyond her prime, causing discomfort among his female colleagues.
Things got sour for Lemon when he said, “Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime, sorry,” Lemon explained why he was “uncomfortable” with the age discussion. “When a woman is considered to be in her prime — in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s.”
The network dismissed Lemon after his show, in what he described as a termination. “It is clear that there are some larger issues at play,” Lemon wrote on social media.
