Past His Prime: CNN’s Don Lemon Is Obnoxious Woman-Hater, Colleagues Say

‘He’s an ass’: Former coworkers rip the beleaguered network anchor in new report

Suspicions confirmed: Recent allegations made in a Variety exposé published on Wednesday reveal that CNN host Don Lemon is not only a terrible person but also an unpleasant colleague. According to dozens of his current and former coworkers, Lemon displays open hostility towards women while flouting rules and cozying up to those in power. Lemon manages to charm his way out of facing any repercussions for his unprofessional antics, which have plagued CNN for nearly two decades.

Greatest hits: Here are some of the most egregious offenses recounted by people who have worked with Lemon at CNN:

1. Jealous creep: In 2008, Kyra Phillips, who cohosted CNN’s Live From weekday show with Lemon, received a series of threatening messages from an unknown number after returning from a special assignment in Iraq. An internal investigation discovered that Lemon had sent the messages, angry about being passed over for the gig. The investigation was never publicly disclosed, but Lemon was removed from his co-anchor position and moved to a weekend slot.
2. ‘Shameless name dropper’: Lemon frequently brags about hobnobbing with famous people. He even displayed a handwritten note from Oprah Winfrey’s partner Stedman Graham on his work computer for all to see.
3. Litigious liar: Lemon often talks about filing lawsuits, which his colleagues viewed as a warning not to cross him. He claimed to have sued the Chicago Police Department for racial profiling, although there is no record of it, and now denies having ever said it.
4. Intern wrangler: In 2007, Lemon started dating a junior staffer who was half his age, which was officially frowned upon at the network. Colleagues noted that “as fast as you could make a rule, Don would bend it.”
5. Do-nothing diva: Lemon is accused of constant diva-like behavior, such as skipping meetings, showing up late, and only caring about his airtime relative to other CNN hosts like Anderson Cooper.
6. Misogynist queen: Lemon called a female producer “fat” to her face and mocked his colleague Nancy Grace by mimicking her on air. His colleagues found it “shocking,” and it seems that when Lemon says something offensive, there is almost always a woman on the other side.
7. Racial truther: In 2008 when CNN tapped Lemon’s female rival, Soledad O’Brien, to host the network’s Black in America docuseries, Lemon argued in an editorial call with staffers that O’Brien isn’t black, despite identifying as Afro-Cuban.

Lemon parting? Given the recent allegations about his unprofessional behavior, many have speculated that Lemon’s days at CNN could be numbered. For instance, he received backlash for suggesting that Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley “isn’t in her prime” because she is 51 years old and a woman.

Why hasn’t he been fired already? Some suggest that Lemon has yet to lose his job over his behavior because he is black, gay, and reportedly very litigious.

Bottom line: It has always been apparent that Lemon is an obnoxious and entitled individual, but it is troubling to see his behavior confirmed by so many of his coworkers.