Don Lemon has been accused Of many things, but being camera-shy is definitely not one of them.
Days after the former star anchor was terminated by CNN, Lemon walked the red carpet Wednesday evening to tell the press that she’s ready for her new chapter.
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“I’m in no rush to have another job — even though I want another job,” Lemon said on the red carpet at the Time 100 Gala in New York City on Wednesday night. “I want to work again. But I’m lucky to be in a position where I don’t have to worry about those things.”
Speaking to various media outlets at the gala, Lemon was in high spirits with a smile on his face, despite his departure — and the alleged behavior in the workplace, as reported by Diversity – Major headlines.
“I’m doing well, and I’m here to celebrate,” Lemon told entertainment tonight, “I am happy to be here… I am happy to be moving in a new direction. I’m going to miss all the brilliant people and reporters at CNN, my friends and I love and I’ve been talking to… I’m fine, life is good.’
“I think my statement speaks for itself,” Lemon told Excessive, commenting on his own words following the news of the termination. “Yeah, it was surprising. Life goes on. That’s after me, and we’ll see what happens in the future.
on monday when broke the news Lemon was fired by CNN, releasing a statement saying he was “stunned” and claimed to have been informed of his dismissal by his agent.
“After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought that someone in management would have the decency to tell me straight,” Lemon said Monday. “At no time was there ever any indication to me that I would not be able to continue doing the work that I love at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play. At the same time, I would like to thank my colleagues and the many I want to thank the teams I’ve worked with for putting together this incredible run. They are some of the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best.”
CNN pushed back on Lemon’s statement, offering a different version of events: “Lemon was given an opportunity to meet with management, but instead released a statement on Twitter,” the company said.
Lemon’s termination came after she made now-infamous comments on her morning show suggesting that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley had passed her “prime”, which sparked a barrage of nonstop backlash and unwanted attention. Was attracting the stream. Then, Diversity informed of That the anchor’s behavior towards women has been questioned many times during his career. This week, after their end, a source told Diversity that following his previous major comments, executives had concerns about Lemon’s ability to connect with audiences, bookers having trouble lining up some guests and ad-sales execution at corporate parent Warner Bros. Was. Program.
On Wednesday night, Lemon deflected specific questions from CNN about his departure.
When asked by Extras, “Are you going after the company?” Lemon instead gave a preview of his near future.
“I’m going to spend my summer at the beach and on the boat and with my family, and just relax and then I’ll see what happens next,” he said. “I’m excited for a new chapter because life is short, and whatever life gives you, you have to bob-and-weave and do… I’m a survivor.”
asked by Time, “What impression have you made on CNN?” Lemon replied, “Why don’t you ask my colleagues? I think they’ll probably have a good answer.”
speaking to a group of journalists on the red carpet, Lemon puts it all into perspective and talks about some of the challenges she’s faced in her life, focusing on the tragic death of her sister in 2018 and losing her father young to diabetes. “Listen, I didn’t lose my job. I lost my sister. A job is something that isn’t important as a person,” Lemon said. “I know what’s important in life.”
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