Don Lemon Sues Elon Musk And X Over Show Cancellation
Former CNN host Don Lemon filed a lawsuit against X, formerly known as Twitter, and its owner Elon Musk on Thursday, alleging breach of contract and other claims after the abrupt cancellation of his show. The legal complaint, filed in San Francisco, accuses the social media platform and Musk of failing to honor an exclusive agreement that promised Lemon an annual payment of $1.5 million, complete creative control, and financial incentives.
Lemon, who was dismissed from CNN in April of last year, claimed that X pulled out of the deal following a contentious interview with Musk earlier this year. According to the lawsuit, the company refused to compensate Lemon, despite his substantial investment in forming his own media company. The complaint also includes accusations of fraud and the unauthorized use of Lemon’s name and likeness.
“To this day, Defendants have not compensated Lemon pursuant to the exclusive partnership deal that Defendants induced Lemon to enter into,” the filing stated, per NBC News.
Lemon asserted that he was coerced into the agreement, which allegedly lacked formal documentation, after his departure from CNN. He contends that Musk had no intention of fulfilling the terms of the deal and reneged after Lemon incurred significant expenses.
“You don’t have to be a genius to see the fraud, negligence, and reputational damage here,” Lemon’s attorney Carney Shegerian told NBC. “This case is straightforward. X’s executives used Don to prop up their advertising sales pitch, then canceled their partnership and dragged Don’s name through the mud. … Don’s a hard-hitting journalist who’s committed to defending his good name. We look forward to our day in court.”
The lawsuit does not specify the amount of damages Lemon is seeking but highlights the impact on his career, financial losses, emotional distress, and humiliation as a result of the broken agreement.
Lemon’s legal action underscores ongoing tensions between high-profile media figures and social media platforms, raising questions about contractual integrity and the responsibilities of tech companies in their business dealings with journalists.