Don Lemon Says He Was Sexually Harassed at CNN, Remembers One Woman ‘Tweaked’ His Nipples

The former network anchor says he did not go to HR or management for fear “they may find a way to get rid of me”

Don Lemon attends the 14th Annual NFL Honors in New Orleans. (Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
Don Lemon attends the 14th Annual NFL Honors in New Orleans. (Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

Don Lemon accused unnamed CNN colleagues for the first time Sunday of sexually harassing him during his 17-year tenure at the news network, recalling one specific instance that saw a female staffer tweak his nipples in the company’s Atlanta cafeteria. Another involved an off-site encounter with a female staffer when he was still “so new” at the company.

Joining Bill Maher for his “Club Random” podcast in a nearly two-hour conversation, the journalist said that he never went to HR or management over such instances because he feared “they may find a way to get rid of me.” (Lemon was fired from the network in 2023 amid accusations of misogyny and workplace misconduct.)

Comments