CNN anchor Don Lemon has been accused of making offensive comments about women on air in the past – and, according to a new report, his behavior toward female colleagues at the network has also been inappropriate.
A lengthy report, published by Variety Wednesday, alleges the anchor has disrespected former colleagues including Nancy Grace and Soledad O’Brien in a number of public settings including on air and in editorial meetings. Variety interviewed more than a dozen former and current colleagues, many of whom were quoted anonymously.
The report also included details on Lemon’s alleged offenses to Kyra Phillips, with whom he co-anchored CNN’s “Live From” in 2008. Phillips declined to comment on these allegations to Variety.
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A rep for Lemon told USA TODAY Wednesday that Variety’s story was “riddled with patently false anecdotes and no concrete evidence.” The report “is entirely based on unsourced, unsubstantiated, 15-year-old anonymous gossip,” Lemon’s rep added. “It’s amazing and disappointing that Variety would be so reckless.”
A spokesperson for CNN added that the news network is “unable to corroborate the alleged accounts” contained in the report.
Variety’s report isn’t the first time Lemon has been accused of sexist comments. Here’s what he’s said in the past.
February 2023: Don Lemon said Nikki Haley wasn’t ‘in her prime’
Lemon’s most recent controversial comments came during an on-air discussion in February with co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins about Haley’s presidential campaign announcement and her call for “mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old.”
Lemon said the “talk about age” makes him uncomfortable and said her comments were the “wrong road” to go down.
“She says people, politicians are not in their prime,” he said. “Nikki Haley is not in her prime, sorry. A woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s.”
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His co-host Harlow asked him to clarify what he meant by “prime” and if he was referring to “prime for childbearing” or “prime for being president.”
Lemon responded: “If you Google, ‘when is a woman in her prime,’ it’ll say 20s, 30s, and 40s. … I’m not saying I agree with that so I think she has to be careful about saying that (politicians aren’t in their prime).”
Lemon then apologized for his comments after being absent from the show amid the backlash. “To my network, my colleagues and our incredible audience — I’m sorry. I’ve heard you, I’m learning from you, and I’m committed to doing better,” he tweeted shortly before going back on the air.
December 2022: Don Lemon gets in tiff with co-hosts about women’s soccer
In December, Lemon got into a tiff with his co-hosts about compensation in soccer. He argued that the U.S. men’s team should be higher compensated than their female counterparts, according to the Daily Beast.
The discussion came on the heels of news that the women’s team would be making more money.
“But the men’s team makes more money. If they make more money, then they should get more money,” he said. “The men’s team makes more money because people are more interested in the men.”
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September 2022: Don Lemon asks S. E. Cupp if she has ‘mommy brain’
In September, Lemon drew criticism for asking political commentator Cupp if she had “mommy brain” after she appeared to lose her train of thought while speaking on a panel.
“Is it fair to say this, because I’m not a mommy, but is it mommy brain?” he asked Cupp.
Cupp replied, “No, Don. I just forgot what I was going to say.”
November 2014: Don Lemon told Bill Cosby accuser how to avoid being raped
In 2014, Lemon suggested to actress Joan Tarshis who alleged sexual assault by Bill Cosby during an interview how she might’ve avoided being raped.
“You — you know, there are ways not to perform oral sex if you didn’t want to do it,” he told her on air.
Tarshis responded: “Oh. Um, I was kind of stoned at the time, and quite honestly, that didn’t even enter my mind. Now I wish it would have.”
Lemon later apologized.
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Contributing: Elise Brisco, Amy Haneline and Edward Segarra
