Don Lemon, a former CNN anchor, has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and the platform X, nearly five months after his “premium” video hosting deal was abruptly canceled in March. This move follows earlier threats of legal action from Lemon’s representatives due to non-payment issues.
According to the New York Times, Lemon’s lawsuit was filed in California Superior Court in San Francisco. The case revolves around an alleged payment agreement that Lemon claims Musk has failed to honor.
Lemon asserts that he was supposed to produce a news and interview show on X for $1.5 million annually, along with a share of the advertising revenue. Despite Musk’s assurances that no formal contract was necessary, Lemon maintains that the promised payments have not been made.
Lemon’s show kicked off with an interview featuring Musk, where he posed challenging questions about Musk’s alleged ketamine use, views on transgender individuals, and stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring practices.
Lemon also questioned Musk about tweets that seemed to endorse the racist “great replacement theory.” Following this interview, Musk allegedly ended their deal through a text message.
Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, noted that the platform is aiming to become a “video first” platform and has made similar deals with other high-profile individuals like former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, former Democratic lawmaker Tulsi Gabbard, and sports commentator Jim Rome. Despite these agreements, many of these shows have yet to be launched on X.
The lawsuit filed by Lemon underscores the ongoing disputes and challenges within X as it attempts to transform into a leading video content platform. The case not only highlights the specific issue of unpaid compensation but also raises broader concerns about the reliability and execution of X’s strategic agreements.
