Don Lemon and his husband Tim Malone were all smiles this Wednesday as they attended the Time 100 Gala in New York. The couple looked happy and content as they walked down the red carpet in matching suits but stopped by EXTRA where the anchor was asked how he’s been since his CNN firing.
“I’m not making headlines,” Lemon said after being approached on the red carpet by a reporter who asked if he was surprised to have been fired. “I think that my statement speaks for itself. Yeah, it was a surprise, but life goes on, you know, that’s behind me and we’ll see what happens in the future.” Lemon was then asked what are his plans to go after the network. He responded by saying…
“I’m gonna spend my summer on a beach and on a boat and with my family,” Lemon continued, “and just chill out. And then I’ll see what happens next. But I am fortunate enough to be in a position where I can do that, where I have time, where I don’t have to rush to another job. Even if I want another job — I do, I want to work again, but I’m lucky enough to be in a position where I don’t have to worry about those things.”
Despite what has happened, Lemon added that he is ultimately looking forward to his next chapter. “I think life is short, and you have to, whatever life hands you, you have to bob and weave and do it.”
Before ending the conversation, Lemon looked back on some of the hard things that have come his way in the past and how he managed to get through them.
“I didn’t think that I would be at work one evening and I’d get a phone call that my sister had died, but I had to deal with that. I didn’t think that, you know, my dad would die young of diabetes, I had to deal with that, you know. So there are lots of things that come your way that are unexpected, but I’m a survivor, I come from strong, sturdy stock in Louisiana, and a lot of people who are rooting for me and who love me.”
More On Don Lemon’s CNN Firing
As we previously reported, Don Lemon made the big announcement on Monday that he was terminated by the network after 17 years.
In a twitter statement, Lemon said “I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” he wrote. “I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly,” Lemon, 57, said in a Twitter post. “At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at this network.” Lemon added that “it is clear that there are some larger issues at play,” without offering more details. “With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best.”
Shortly after his tweet, CNN wrote “Don will forever be a 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 in his future endeavors.” In another tweet, CNN also refuted Lemon’s account as “inaccurate.” The network said he was offered a chance to meet with management but “instead released a statement on Twitter.”
While reports claimed Lemon has obtained famed attorney Bryan Freedman for a possible lawsuit, Lemon has not yet confirmed whether or not those reports are true.
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