Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and his social media company X, alleging the unfair termination of a talk show deal. The lawsuit claims that Musk and X canceled the partnership after using Lemon’s name to attract advertisers to the platform, failing to compensate him as agreed.
According to the lawsuit, Musk and X promised Lemon $1.5 million and a share of advertising revenue for his show, “The Don Lemon Show,” but reneged on the deal after the initial episode was recorded. Lemon’s legal team, Shegerian & Associates, has accused X of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and misappropriation of his name and likeness.
The deal fell apart in March after Lemon’s interview with Musk, where Lemon questioned Musk about his ketamine use and the rise of hate speech on X. Musk later criticized the show on X, suggesting it was merely a replication of CNN’s format, which he deemed ineffective.
Lemon, who was terminated from CNN in April 2023 following controversial remarks about then-Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, was initially approached by Musk as part of a strategy to revive advertiser interest in X. However, Musk’s acquisition of the platform in 2022 and subsequent controversies have led to several high-profile advertisers, including Paris Hilton’s 11:11 Media, pulling their campaigns.
