Fired CNN host Don Lemon’s rift with boss Chris Licht started with wardrobe dispute

Fired CNN host Don Lemon‘s tensions with network boss Chris Licht date back at least to last fall, when a wardrobe dispute erupted during a rehearsal, according to a new report.

In early November, during a final rehearsal before the launch of CNN This Morning, Lemon baffled producers by arriving back on set from a break wearing a white jacket with fur collar over a turtleneck, The Atlantic reported on Friday. 

‘What the f*** is he wearing?’ blurted out Licht in the control room, according to a firsthand account from Atlantic staff writer Tim Alberta, who was there working on a lengthy profile of Licht.

A junior producer hesitantly relayed Licht’s concern through Lemon’s earpiece, drawing a ‘miffed’ look from the CNN host as he said: ‘Don, uhh, we’re not too crazy about the jacket in here.’ 

Lemon was fired from CNN in April following a 17-year stint there, in a move widely viewed as part of Licht’s campaign to shake the network’s liberal-leaning image and reinvent it as a down-the-middle, facts-first news organization.

A new report details behind-the-scenes tensions between Don Lemon (center) and CNN boss Chris Licht during a rehearsal for CNN This Morning last fall

Licht, 51, took over as chair and CEO of CNN Worldwide in February 2022, following the dismissal of his predecessor Jeff Zucker

Licht, 51, took over as chair and CEO of CNN Worldwide in February 2022, following the dismissal of his predecessor Jeff Zucker

A representative for Lemon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com on Friday afternoon. 

Alberta’s firsthand account details a number of incidents of friction between Licht and Lemon at the rehearsal, which was four days before the CNN morning show featuring Lemon, Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow launched on November 8.

After Lemon had removed the offending jacket during another break, the host returned for another segment that Licht viewed skeptically.

The segment questioned why the rapper Kanye West had only faced furious backlash and severed sponsorship ties after his anti-Semitic rants last fall, and not faced similar fury over his prior offensive statements about slavery.

‘Do you think if I’m on my way to work, at 7.40 in the morning, I have time to absorb this?’ Licht asked a producer in the control room.

Lemon launched the segment by flubbing the opening line, prompting Licht to remark, ‘read the f***ing prompter.’ 

As Lemon delivered a monologue next to a graphic depicting a tortured slave, Licht could not contain his disapproval, saying: ‘Way too long—and it’s f***ing morning time. This is morning television.’ 

At another point in the rehearsal, Licht reportedly mused in frustration at Lemon’s penchant for opinionating on every segment.

‘I’m going to tell Don, the biggest mistake is commenting after every single story for the sake of commenting after every single story,’ Licht said in the control room. 

‘Don’t tell me, ‘Oh, that’s horrible.’ We know it’s horrible. If you’ve got a specific insight into something, if you can add something, tell us. But don’t comment on every single f***ing story,’ he added. 

Following the rehearsal, Licht cornered Lemon by the anchor desk and delivered his feedback, saying he wanted less commentary and to keep things on the lighter side for morning TV audiences.

Lemon looked hesitant and replied: ‘I don’t want to be preachy in the morning, but I do want to hold people accountable.’

Lemon is seen with former co-host Poppy Harlow. He reportedly irked Licht by wearing a jacket with fur collar over a turtleneck to a rehearsal

Lemon is seen with former co-host Poppy Harlow. He reportedly irked Licht by wearing a jacket with fur collar over a turtleneck to a rehearsal

Licht, 51, took over as chair and CEO of CNN Worldwide in February 2022, following the dismissal of his predecessor Jeff Zucker over an undisclosed romance with his top lieutenant. 

A former executive producer for MSNBC’s Morning Joe and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Licht was tapped for the top job at CNN by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.

Under orders from Zaslav, Licht’s mission has been to steer CNN towards more objective news coverage and attempt to win over more conservative-leaning voters. 

But the hallmark of that campaign, last month’s CNN town hall interview with Donald Trump, has brought withering backlash from some of the network’s own journalists. 

They criticized the format, in which Trump attacked interviewer Collins as a ‘nasty person’ and repeated falsehoods about the election in front of an audience of cheering fans.

Veteran correspondent Christiane Amanpour publicly slammed the town hall in remarks to graduating students at Columbia University’s graduate school of journalism.

Lemon has not announced plans for his next move following his firing from CNN. 

Leave a Comment