Megyn Kelly: CNN Firing Don Lemon Through His Agent Is ‘Classless’
Megyn Kelly spoke out about Don Lemon getting fired by CNN — and seemingly took his side after the reporter alleged that he wasn’t given any notice.
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“No, no, he’s, he’s not wrong,” Kelly, 52, said during the Monday, April 24, episode of SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Show. “I mean, everybody knows I’m not exactly Don Lemon’s fan, but he’s not wrong … if that’s true.”
The former Megyn Kelly Today host noted that if Lemon, 57, “was just told by his agent he was fired and [the network] didn’t have the balls to tell him man to man. I mean, that’s just classless.” She added: “He’s got a right to complain about that.”
Kelly’s executive producer Steve Krakauer confirmed that he watched Lemon “on air this morning” shortly before news broke on Monday that he was let go from CNN after 17 years.
“Oh, my God. So that’s a, you’re escorted out of the building kind of situation,” the journalist, who made headlines of her own in 2018 when she was fired from NBC following comments about blackface, alleged.
The Settle for More author noted that Lemon getting fired isn’t that shocking — in February, he raised eyebrows after making sexist comments about former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, for which he later apologized — but the way in which it allegedly transpired is suspect.
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“Something must have happened there. I feel like, Steve, something must have happened there. Something else must have come out,” Kelly concluded. “So there must have been something, like a final straw.”
Lemon announced via Twitter on Monday that he was no longer working at CNN — weeks after Variety published a report about his alleged misogynist behavior.
“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN,” he claimed. “I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network.”
The Louisiana native continued: “It is clear that there are some larger issues at play. With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best.”
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The network, however, denied the former CNN This Morning cohost’s allegations about how he was fired.
“Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate,” a tweet shared on Monday by CNN’s communications team read. “He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”
Earlier in the day, CNN released a statement confirming that Lemon was exiting the channel and that his show would continue with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins.
“CNN and Don have parted ways,” the statement read. “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”
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Lemon wasn’t the only broadcaster who made headlines on Monday. Fox News — where Kelly worked for more than 10 years — confirmed that the network and Tucker Carlson had “agreed to part ways” after more than a decade.
Kelly weighed in on the news on her podcast on Monday, saying, “This is a terrible move by Fox, and it’s a great thing for Tucker Carlson.” She added: “I’m not worried about Tucker at all. I predict Tucker goes independent. Tucker launches a podcast or digital show and crushes it.”
Carlson’s departure comes less than a week after Fox News Channel reached a settlement in a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems.
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The Tucker Carlson Tonight host, 53, was among the hosts and executives that were questioned as part of the lawsuit in which Dominion claimed they were owed damages after Fox News allegedly knowingly aired false claims about their role in the 2020 U.S. election. Dominion’s attorney, Justin Nelson, reported that the case was settled for $787.5 million.
