Don Lemon, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock; John Nacion/NurPhoto/Shutterstock; Gregory Tempo/Shutterstock
After Don Lemon‘s abrupt exit from CNN, his CNN This Morning cohosts addressed his absence head-on throughout the Tuesday, April 25, episode of the present.
“Good morning, everybody,” Poppy Harlow started at the top of the broadcast. “Welcome to CNN This Morning. We’re so glad you’re with us. And we do start although with information about this present. As you could have heard yesterday, CNN parted methods with anchor Don Lemon. In an announcement, CNN CEO Chris Licht thanked Don for his contributions over the previous 17 years, writing partly, ‘Don will endlessly be part of the CNN household. We want him effectively and shall be cheering him on in his future endeavors.’”
Kaitlan Collins then chimed in to echo Licht’s sentiments, including: “In fact Don was an enormous a part of this present during the last six months. He was one of many first anchors on CNN to have me on his present. That’s one thing I’ll clearly always remember. I agree with Chris. We want him the very best.”
Harlow, 40, went on to say that she and Collins, 31, “actually” agree with Licht’s assertion. “Don was one in every of my first buddies right here at CNN,” the Yale Regulation Faculty graduate continued. “I’m so grateful to have labored alongside him and for his help for practically 15 years right here and I want him all good issues forward.”
The Minnesota native added that she and her remaining cohost are “actually proud” of CNN This Morning, which can proceed with out Lemon, 57. “We’re so pleased with the devoted workforce that works across the clock to deliver you the information each morning and our precedence is you, the viewer,” Harlow stated. “We’re grateful you welcome us into your property every morning.”
Earlier than leaping into the day’s headlines, Collins added, “This morning we need to preserve the give attention to the information, the place that belongs, so let’s get to it. CNN This Morning begins proper now.”
CNN introduced on Monday, April 24, that the community had “parted methods” with Lemon, who joined the information group in 2006. The Brooklyn Faculty alum, nevertheless, claimed that he was fired in an announcement shared through Twitter.
“I used to be knowledgeable this morning by my agent that I’ve been terminated by CNN,” he wrote. “I’m shocked. After 17 years at CNN I’d have thought that somebody in administration would have had the decency to inform me instantly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I’d not have the ability to proceed to do the work I’ve beloved on the community.”
Lemon, who was a part of the CNN This Morning broadcast earlier on Monday, continued: “It’s clear that there are some bigger points at play. With that stated, I need to thank my colleagues and the various groups I’ve labored with for an unimaginable run. They’re essentially the most proficient journalists within the enterprise, and I want all of them the very best.”
Shortly after the journalist shared his facet of the story, CNN denied his model of occasions with out entering into specifics about what was incorrect. “Don Lemon’s assertion about this morning’s occasions is inaccurate,” learn a tweet shared by the community’s communications workforce on Monday. “He was provided a possibility to satisfy with administration however as an alternative launched an announcement on Twitter.”
After Lemon’s departure made headlines, a few of his fellow journalists, together with Megyn Kelly, defended him. “I imply, everyone is aware of I’m not precisely Don Lemon’s fan, however he’s not mistaken … if that’s true,” the previous Fox Information host, 52, stated throughout the Monday episode of SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Present. “[He] was simply advised by his agent he was fired and [the network] didn’t have the balls to inform him man to man. I imply, that’s simply classless. He’s received a proper to complain about that.”
The Accept Extra creator theorized that “one thing should have occurred” behind the scenes to immediate the choice. “One thing else should have come out,” Kelly stated. “There should have been one thing, like a ultimate straw.”
Lemon’s exit got here two months after he was briefly pulled from CNN after saying former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley was now not in her “prime.” The Louisiana native later apologized for the remarks.
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“The reference I made to a lady’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and family members have identified, and I remorse it,” Lemon tweeted in February. “A lady’s age doesn’t outline her both personally or professionally. I’ve numerous ladies in my life who show that day by day.”
