From WaPo: Don Lemon Films First Episode for X with Elon Musk, Promptly Fired
Photo by Neon Tommy, CC BY-SA 2.0
Back in January, Elon Musk and Twitter/X announced content partnerships with various media personalities including former CNN presenter Don Lemon. As it turned out, that partnership lasted only one show, as apparently Musk didn’t care for the first episode, featuring himself.
After a lengthy career at CNN, Lemon was fired in late April, a few months after he apologized for making a disparaging comment about Nikki Haley’s age on CNN’s ill-fated morning show, which has since been discontinued.
Soon after, Musk publicly asked Lemon — via a posting on X, previously known as Twitter — whether he had considered hosting a show on his platform, citing its large audience.
Their “content partnership” was announced in early January with some fanfare, though its precise terms — including Lemon’s potential compensation — were not disclosed. Lemon spoke of X as “the biggest space for free speech in the world” adding that, “I know now more than ever that we need a place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors.”
On Wednesday, Lemon said that X “made significant commitments” about the support it would offer his show, though he gave no specific details.
X also announced similar partnerships at the time with former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) and sports commentator Jim Rome. The service also offers a show streamed by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.
The episode featuring Musk will still air on Monday, on both X and YouTube, and Lemon said he will continue making the show.
“This does not change anything about the show, except for my relationship with Elon and X,” Lemon said in a video. “There’s a whole lot that went down, and I’m going to tell you about it in the coming days.”
Wait….you aren’t suggesting musk is a thin skinned petty narcissist who loves to flaunt his power. That his free speech bs is all bs to pump his brand to anybody bedazzled by a rich smug dude. That would be shocking.Report
Perhaps Musk was only referring to his free speech. 😉Report
The New York Post is reporting: Don Lemon demanded Tesla Cybertruck, $5M advance, equity in X before Elon Musk canned him: sources
Is that too much to ask? If the guy is the richest guy in the world, why wouldn’t he agree to this?Report
I think both of these individuals have a track record of being self-centered jackasses, but I suspect this is spin since the entirety of right wing online media all ran the same story at the same time, and also unless Don dropped those demands on Elon during or after the interview Musk knew that going in or – most probably – this is exaggerated to make Lemon look bad after Musk looks bad for sacking him for asking him tough questions.Report
According to the story: “The proposal reviewed by The Post was sent from Lemon’s agents at United Talent Agency to X’s leadership in December.”
The Post could be lying, of course.Report
Stay away from the well! Andrew says it’s poisoned.Report
Eh, it’s fair to say that the New York Post is biased out the yin-yang (because it is) and it tends toward sensationalist headlines that are seriously walked back in the story.
I’m just someone who thinks that that particular criticism is dulled by what the actual story actually says beyond the sensationalist headline. “We reviewed the proposal. That’s what it said.”
As stories go, we’re not in a place where the deliberately provocative headline is being walked back.
We are, instead, in “Headless Body in Topless Bar” territory.Report
Elon magically discovered this request from December the day after he sits for the interview…Report
Don Lemon and his talent agency are both denying that any of these were requests.
I wonder if we’re going to see a lawsuit or if a lawsuit will be threatened and who, if anybody, will agree to drop it.Report
let ’em fightReport