Former Cnn Anchor Don Lemon Sues Elon Musk Over Botched Media Agreement

One of the most knowledgeable pundits in the history of Civil Rights politics is doing everything he can to secure funds now that he has been let go from his prestigious job at CNN.

According to the New York Times and NBC News, Don Lemon has filed a lawsuit against mogul Elon Musk and his company, X, following the cancellation of his show on the platform. Lemon is accusing the billionaire and his company of failing to make payments after their deal fell apart, "on the heels of their contentious interview earlier this year."

According to the lawsuit filed on Thursday, the billionaire and X promised Lemon an exclusive deal for his show, offering $1.5 million annually, complete control over his content, and financial incentives. This agreement aimed to capitalize on the former CNN anchor's reputation and attract advertisers. However, Musk withdrew from the deal without making any payments.

Filed in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco County, the complaint alleges fraud, breach of contract, and misappropriation of Lemon’s name and likeness.

As previously mentioned, Lemon is a prominent figure in journalism. The longtime CNN anchor was terminated in April 2023 and has since been exploring new ventures in the media world.

That’s where Elon Musk comes in.

Musk fully took over X, formerly known as Twitter, and immediately fired top executives, initiated mass layoffs, and controversially reinstated banned accounts. During this upheaval, several companies withdrew their advertising from the platform.

The complaint alleges that X and Musk attempted to partner with established public figures in an effort to rehabilitate their own reputation.

Allegedly, Musk “enticed Lemon with false promises and representations,” according to the complaint. Musk posted to X on May 9: “Have you considered doing your show on this platform? Maybe worth a try. Audience is much bigger.”

According to the complaint, Lemon had a conversation with Musk in June 2023, during which Musk asked him to "enter into an exclusive partnership with X." Lemon had reservations about the partnership due to X’s ongoing controversies.

In subsequent meetings, representatives from X assured Lemon that he would have full control over his show's content, regardless of Musk's personal views. The agreement also included Lemon receiving 60% of ad sales, based on performance metrics. The show was scheduled to air three times a week, with X retaining exclusive rights to the content before it could be shared on other platforms.

Lemon agreed to these terms.

The complaint alleges that Musk never truly intended to proceed with Lemon's show; instead, he used Lemon’s name to promote X and regain favor with audiences for the company.

During a contentious interview between Lemon and Musk, Lemon questioned Musk about his meeting with former President Donald Trump and the presence of hate speech on X.

Following this interview, Musk allegedly terminated the agreement.

“To this day, Defendants have not compensated Lemon pursuant to the exclusive partnership deal that Defendants induced Lemon to enter into,” the filing said.