Don Lemon dropped by X, claims Elon Musk retaliated over their interview: He’s ‘mad at me’

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Former CNN host Don Lemon on Wednesday announced that Elon Musk canceled a partnership Lemon had with X because Musk was angered by their recent interview that has yet to be aired.

“Elon Musk is mad at me, and I just put out a statement about what happened between him, me and the interview that he is apparently so upset about,” Lemon said in a video he shared on social media. 

Lemon’s new streaming show had a partnership with Musk’s X, and the billionaire was also the program’s first guest. Lemon, who was fired from CNN last year, already taped the interview and detailed its future in a lengthy statement. 

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Ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon. (Paul Marotta/Getty Images)

“Elon Musk has canceled the partnership I had with X, which they announced as part of their public commitment to amplifying more diverse voices on their platform. He informed me of his decision hours after an interview I conducted with him on Friday,” Lemon wrote in a statement posted on social media. 

The interview that Lemon conducted with Musk will remain the premiere episode of “The Don Lemon Show” next Monday. 

“Elon publicly encouraged me to join X with a new show, saying I would have his ‘full support,’ and that his ‘digital town square is for all.’ He and his team pursued the deal in numerous conversations and made significant commitments about the support X would provide for the show. I made the decision to work with them in a unique partnership that I believed would ultimately assure that my work would be available to most people, in the largest possible venue. I took Elon and his management’s team’s word that they, for the first time, were interested in working directly with new and diverse voices,” Lemon wrote. 

“There were no restrictions on the interview that he willingly agreed to, and my questions were respectful and wide-ranging, covering everything from SpaceX to the presidential election. We had a good conversation. Clearly he felt differently,” Lemon continued. “His commitment to a global town square where all questions can be asked and all ideas can be shared seems not to include questions of him from people like me.” 

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Elon Musk laughs while onstage during the New York Times Dealbook Summit 2023 at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on Nov. 29, 2023. (Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for The New York Times)

Lemon said his conversation with Musk will be available on YouTube, wherever podcasts are available and X. 

“This will be just the first of many episodes of ‘The Don Lemon Show.’ 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 wrote. 

When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, an X spokesperson provided the following statement:

“X is a platform that champions free speech, and we’re proud to provide an open environment for diverse voices and perspectives. 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.” 

Musk detailed his issues with the interview in a message on X, evoking former CNN president Jeff Zucker in the process. Zucker, who has been extremely close with Lemon for years, was known as the man who shifted CNN from a nonpartisan news network to an anti-Trump opinion channel. 

“His approach was basically just ‘CNN, but on social media,’ which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying. And, instead of it being the real Don Lemon, it was really just 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 wrote. 

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Don Lemon was fired from CNN last year. (REUTERS/Andrew Kelly)

Tech journalist Kara Swisher reported that Musk sent a “terse text” to Lemon’s reps stating “Contract terminated.” Lemon’s agent, Jay Sures, confirmed this text to Fox News Digital.

Swisher also gloated that she predicted that the partnership between Lemon and X wouldn’t work out.

“I had told Don that this is exactly what would occur… despite promises by Musk and CEO Linda Yaccarino — who extravagantly touted this deal at CES to advertisers — that this time was different,” she wrote on X.

Lemon was fired from CNN last year by then-CNN CEO Chris Licht, who was shown the door himself weeks later.

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Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.