Don Lemon says he’s been fired from his post at CNN’s “CNN This Morning,” which he co-anchored with Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow for about six months.
The former anchor, who was on air Monday morning, shared the news in a statement on Twitter.
“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” he wrote.
CNN CEO Chris Licht said in a statement that the network wishes him well and will cheer him on as he pursues future endeavors, echoing what he wrote in an email to CNN staffers obtained by USA TODAY.
“To my CNN Colleagues, CNN and Don have parted ways. Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years,” Licht said.
He added: “CNN This Morning has been on the air for nearly six months, and we are committed to its success.”
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Lemon expressed frustration with the manner in which he says the news was delivered to him.
“After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly,” Lemon added in his tweet. “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 the network. It is clear there are some larger issues at play. 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.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Lemon’s rep for comment.
CNN’s communications Twitter account said Lemon’s public assertions about his termination are not true.
“Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate,” CNN said. “He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”
After more than eight years as a prime-time host, Lemon on Nov. 1 was moved along with Harlow and Collins to the relaunched “CNN Mornings,” the replacement for “New Day,” as part of a revamp by Licht. But ratings for the new show have been dismal.
Lemon joined the network in September 2006.
The news of Lemon’s termination comes on the heels of reports of alleged misogyny in a lengthy piece from Variety.
In February, Lemon made headlines for offensive statements about Nikki Haley, for which he apologized in February.
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Lemon had been accused of making other offensive comments about women on air in the past – and, according to the Variety report released earlier this month, or inappropriate behavior toward female colleagues at network.
The report 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.
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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.
A rep for Lemon told USA TODAY at the time 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 was “unable to corroborate the alleged accounts” contained in the report.
Contributing: Charles Trepany, Gary Levin, Kelly Lawler
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