It’s been a wild week in the news. On Monday (April 24), famed CNN anchor Don Lemon was fired by the network after 17 years on air. The Louisiana native revealed he was “stunned” by the decision and received the information from his agent because no one from his job “had the decency” to tell him he was being terminated.
Last night (April 26), Lemon stepped out publicly for the first time since the unexpected split and was all smiles. The 57-year-old attended the 2023 Time100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. While there, he walked the red carpet and gave an exclusive to Extra. After admitting the decision was a “surprise,” the journalist added, “Life goes on. That’s behind me, and we’ll see what happens in the future.” Lemon also admitted he wouldn’t change a thing: “I live my life with no regrets, and whatever I did, I did. I owned. I don’t look back and don’t want to change things in the past… Onward.”
At the red carpet for Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People gala, former CNN host Don Lemon said that he was not surprised that the news channel fired him pic.twitter.com/zuTjSUmqJm
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 27, 2023
Now that he has some flexibility with his schedule, Lemon confessed, “I’m gonna spend my summer on the beach, and on the boat, and with my family. Just chill out, and then I’ll see what happens next, but I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where I can do that. I have time. I don’t have to rush to another job, even if I want another job.” Upon learning of his firing, many hoped he would at least be back on air by New Year’s Eve. The broadcaster became a fan favorite for hosting the annual countdown, with the help of a few drinks, of course.
Although Lemon claimed he had no heads up regarding the abrupt firing from the staff he spent decades with, executives sang a different tune. Company chairman and CEO Chris Licht said, “Don will forever be 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 his future endeavors.”