In April 2023, long-time CNN anchor Don Lemon was fired by the news network, and like many in media these days, Lemon announced his next project, The Don Lemon Show, would be a podcast on X. And who would be better for Lemon’s first guest than X owner, Elon Musk?
Reportedly, that’s just what Lemon and his crew had in mind. From the start, Lemon said his new show would be a ” … [A] place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors” and added Musk’s platform, X, is ” … the biggest space for free speech in the world.” Musk, meanwhile, has called himself a “free speech absolutist” — the perfect fit, right?
One would think so, but reports have emerged that Elon Musk canceled Don Lemon’s contract only hours after the inaugural Don Lemon Show interview was taped.
Don Lemon asked Musk about drugs and politics
According to Variety, Lemon posted a statement on X and didn’t say exactly what went wrong with the deal, but that Musk was “mad” at him. ” … This does not change anything about the show except for my relationship with Elon and X,” the former anchor said, “and there’s a whole lot that went down, and I’m gonna tell you about it in the coming days.” Lemon added, “Apparently, free speech absolutism doesn’t apply when it comes to questions about him from people like me.”
The New York Times says Lemon asked Musk about the 2024 Presidential election, Musk’s reported drug use, and about Musk’s various businesses. X staff were just as surprised by Musk’s abrupt about-face as Lemon was, and were preparing to track the show’s traffic until shortly before the canceled contract was announced.
Musk’s response
In an X post, Musk called Lemon’s approach “CNN, but on social media, which doesn’t work … and, instead of it being the real Don Lemon, it was really just [former CNN president] Jeff Zucker talking through Don, so lacked authenticity. All this said, Lemon/Zucker are of course welcome to build their viewership on this platform along with everyone else,” Musk said.
Meanwhile, the X business account explained, “The Don Lemon Show is welcome to publish its content on X, without censorship, as we believe in providing a platform for creators to scale their work and connect with new communities. However, like any enterprise, we reserve the right to make decisions about our business partnerships, and after careful consideration, X decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show.”
Lemon’s show will premiere on YouTube
In a written statement, Lemon said early on, Musk signaled his “full support” for the show. “I took Elon and his management team’s word that they, for the first time, were interested in working directly with new and diverse voices,” the statement added. Lemon said on X that the first episode of The Don Lemon Show, including the Musk interview, would now be available on YouTube and other podcast platforms on March 18, 2024.
“While Elon goes back on his word, I will be doubling down on my commitment to free speech, and I cannot wait to get started,” Lemon said. A Lemon representative said he still expected to be paid for the X deal with Musk.
Published: Mar 13, 2024 01:08 pm