Don Lemon‘s X partnership is dunzo — his deal falling aside earlier than the primary episode may even air … and he blames his Elon Musk interview, the place he apparently struck a nerve.
The previous CNN anchor took to social media Wednesday to announce the tip of his unique cope with Elon’s platform — each by way of written assertion and in a brief video he posted to X, satirically sufficient.
First visitor. @elonmusk such as you’ve by no means seen him earlier than.
The way in which Don explains it … he sat down with Elon Friday to interview him for the primary episode of “The Don Lemon Present,” saying he needed to talk with Musk as his debut visitor as a result of Elon considers himself a significant proponent of free speech.
Don stated the interview had no off-limit subjects, and — although DL admits the convo obtained tense at instances … in the end, he says he felt it was a great, truthful back-and-forth.
Nonetheless, it appears like Musk did not really feel the identical method in keeping with Lemon … who claims his cope with X — agreed upon simply two months in the past — was terminated mere hours after their interview wrapped.
Lemon instructed his followers he labored with X as a result of he is a believer in free speech and needed his message to succeed in a mass viewers … and, getting “fired” from X ain’t stopping the previous CNN anchor from airing it on the platform and elsewhere.
Lemon says he is nonetheless dropping the interview in all its glory Monday, March 18 on YouTube and X as nicely — seemingly a giant center finger to EM and co. He is additionally gonna keep on with the present with out X’s backing … so, the “The Don Lemon Present” remains to be on.
SCOOP: As I instructed him would occur, @donlemon, the proprietor of this platform Elon Musk despatched a terse textual content to his reps: “Contract terminated” after an interview Lemon did with Musk final Friday that was to not the grownup toddler’s liking, together with questions on his ketamine use.
As for precisely what the 2 mentioned … we do not know a lot, however reviews are floating round Don requested some hard-hitting questions — together with queries about Musk’s use of ketamine.
BTW … Lemon apparently nonetheless thinks X owes him cash — with a spokesperson for Don telling information web site Puck he is prepared to go to court docket for the money he believes is owed … to be continued, we suppose.
X is a platform that champions free speech, and we’re proud to offer an open surroundings for various voices and views. The Don Lemon Present is welcome to publish its content material on X, with out censorship, as we imagine in offering a platform for creators to scale their work…
For his or her half, X is saying their platform is all about free speech, and Don can freely publish no matter he desires … but in addition X remains to be a enterprise and may select to start or finish partnerships with companies because it sees match.
His method was principally simply “CNN, however on social media”, which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the truth that CNN is dying.
And, as an alternative of it being the true Don Lemon, it was actually simply Jeff Zucker speaking by way of Don, so lacked authenticity.
As for Elon … he responded to a Mark Zuckerberg parody account on X — and claimed Don was nonetheless doing his CNN shtick, simply on X — and he stated he felt Don was simply parroting his outdated boss on the community, Jeff Zucker. EM additionally says he felt Don was placing on an act and never being his genuine self … which was apparently sufficient for him to scrap their deal.
Looks as if plenty of unhealthy blood on each side … and we’re positive it is not over but.
