Don Lemon may have had an abrupt and somewhat unceremonious exit from CNN last year, but it appears he is getting quite the payout to make up for it.
The former CNN This Morning host, who first joined the network in 2006, unexpectedly announced his firing on X back in April, writing: "I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. 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."
His former employer at the time fired back with: "Don Lemon's statement about this morning's event is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter."
Now, almost a year later, Don and CNN have reportedly reached a separation deal, which per The Wrap will see the anchor receive a whopping $24.5 million.
The staggering payout is reportedly the amount he was set to receive should he have finished out the remaining three and a half years of his contract.
Shortly after his exit – which was announced within an hour of Tucker Carlson's own firing from Fox News – Don hired Hollywood powerhouse lawyer Bryan Freedman to handle his departure, as did Tucker.
© GettyThe lawyer is known for having helped other fellow news anchors and television personalities through their exits, and securing them million-dollar settlements; he worked with former CNN host Chris Cuomo – whose brother Andrew Cuomo had his own unceremonious resignation from his role as Governor of New York in 2021 – who sought $125 million for wrongful termination after the network fired him in 2021.
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He also represented Chris Harrison, The Bachelor franchise's host for twenty years, when he parted ways with Bachelor Nation and ABC after a racist incident with former contestant Rachel Lindsay, as well as more celebrities such as Julia Roberts, Quentin Tarantino, Mariah Carey, Gabrielle Union, and Seth Rogen.
© GettyMoreover, he represented Michael Jackson's estate through a $100 million legal battle against the HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, which was won on appeal.
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Don announced his plans for a comeback earlier this year, revealing on X that he would be launching his new show, The Don Lemon Show, on the social media platform soon.
Describing it as "bigger, bolder, freer," he said it will be "available to everyone, easily, whenever and wherever you want it, streaming on the platforms where conversations are happening."
He further shared: "You'll find it first on X, the biggest space for free speech in the world. I know now more than ever that we need a place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors. This is just the beginning so stay tuned."
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