Don Lemon has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and the social media platform X, following the sudden cancellation of a planned partnership. The former CNN anchor was set to host a talk show on X, but the deal was unexpectedly called off after Lemon’s first interview with Musk didn’t go as planned.
According to the lawsuit filed in a San Francisco court, Lemon accuses Musk and X of inducing him with false promises to invest in the creation of “The Don Lemon Show.” Lemon claims he was lured by a $1.5 million deal and a revenue-sharing incentive to exclusively post his content on X before sharing it elsewhere. However, after a tense interview where Lemon questioned Musk about the rise of hate speech on X and his public behavior, including his use of the drug ketamine, Musk reportedly became irritated, leading to the partnership’s abrupt end.
Lemon’s lawsuit alleges that Musk and X chief executive Linda Yaccarino misled him into believing the company would fully support his show. The lawsuit also mentions that Yaccarino and Brett Weitz, X’s head of talent, personally met with Lemon to reassure him about the platform’s backing.
X has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
