‘No Regrets’: Don Lemon Publicly Addresses CNN Exit

CNN's Don Lemon—seen here at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government Institute of Politics taking part in a program titled "Race, Media and Politics" in Cambridge, Mass., on Feb. 22, 2019. Paul Marotta/Getty Images

Former CNN host Don Lemon has spoken publicly for the first time since confirming he was fired by the network, stating that he has “no regrets” and no plans to “rush to another job.”

In an interview with Extra at the Time 100 Gala in New York City, Lemon, who most recently hosted CNN’s “This Morning,” also detailed his plans for the future following the sudden and “surprise” departure.

“Life goes on. That’s behind me, and we’ll see what happens in the future,” he said of the exit. “I’m gonna [sic] spend my summer on the beach and on the boat and with my family. Just chill out, and then I’ll see what happens next, but I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where I can do that ... I have time. I don’t have to rush to another job, even if I want another job.”

When asked if he would do anything differently, Lemon said, “I live my life with no regrets, and whatever I did, I did, I owned.” He added, “I don’t look back and don’t want to change things in the past.”

The former host also stressed that he is “excited for a new chapter,” adding that “life is short.”

“So there are lots of things that come your way that are unexpected, but I’m a survivor. I come from strong, sturdy stock in Louisiana, and a lot of people are rooting for me and who love me,” he said.

‘Larger Issues at Play’

In a statement on Monday, Lemon announced he was fired from CNN in which he alleged that his agent had informed him about the sudden decision.

“After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly, ” he penned on Twitter. “At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to do the work that I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are larger issues at play.”

He went on to thank his colleagues and others he worked with at the network.

CNN disputed his claims in a separate statement, calling them “inaccurate.”

“He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter,” CNN Communications wrote on Twitter.

In another statement released Monday, the company said Lemon would “forever be a part of the CNN family” and thanked him for his contributions over the past 17 years.

Former South Carolina Republican Gov. Nikki Haley speaks at the Republican Jewish Coalition Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev., on Nov. 19, 2022. Wade Vandervort/AFP via Getty Images

Controversial Career

Lemon’s departure came after he faced criticism over a controversial segment aired earlier this year on CNN “This Morning” in which he said that Republican presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, 51, was no longer in her “prime.”

“When a woman is considered to be in her prime—in her 20s, 30s, and maybe her 40s,” he stated. His comments referenced Haley earlier calling for candidates over the age of 75 to be tested for competency.

Responding to Lemon’s departure from CNN on Monday, Haley posted on Twitter: “A great day for women everywhere. Now, let’s get men out of women’s sports,” alongside an image of two cans of lemonade that read, “Past My Prime?” and “Hold My Beer” with “Nikki Haley for President.”

In 2018, he was named in a lawsuit filed by a bartender who accused the host of assaulting him at a bar in 2018 in Sag Harbor, New York, although the lawsuit was later dropped after the plaintiff stated that his recollection of the events was “not what I thought they were” when he initially filed the suit.

Lemon’s lawyer said in a statement at the time that the lawsuit was a “crass money grab from its inception” and a “malicious and vulgar attack on his character.”

Lemon’s firing came on the same day that Fox News announced it had parted ways with Tucker Carlson without providing an explanation as to why. The move has since prompted a boycott of Fox Network.