Because life is long and bizarre, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has reportedly been texting with former CNN host Don Lemon. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel took shots at the newly jobless duo on Monday night.
Carlson and Lemon, who were fired from their respective organizations on the same day, share a lawyer. “They’re having their own little ‘We got fired’ fest on text, which is pretty crazy,” Kimmel said. “But I just want to say congratulations to Tucker Carlson on making his first Black friend. I think it’s a step in the right direction.”
The late night host also likened the relationship to when two angry exes form an alliance. “No good can come from it at all,” Kimmel said.
It’s been an odd few weeks for the world of media. On April 24, both Lemon and Carlson were fired with nearly no warning. After working for the network for 17 years, Lemon was fired mere hours after he appeared on “CNN This Morning” as its host. A network executive close to the show told TheWrap that Lemon’s ousting was a “business decision” that was “a long time coming.” Rather than one specific incident, Lemon’s misogynistic comments about Nikki Haley, heated interview with GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, clash with co-host Kaitlan Collins and the morning show’s low ratings compounded enough that Lemon was put on the chopping block. An interview in which Lemon said to his guest “whatever ethnicity you are” finally caused CNN to pull the lever.
But that’s nothing compared to the drama that’s surrounded Carlson’s departure from Fox News. Carlson was fired from the network in the wake of Fox News’ $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems regarding the defamation suit the company launched against the network. In addition to being in the spotlight for his firing, Carlson is also wrapped up in a lawsuit from his former senior producer, Abby Grossberg. The suit alleges that Carlson promoted a misogynistic and antisemitic work environment and that he bullied his employees. It’s also been revealed that the former host tried to spin an FBI conspiracy theory using tapes from the Jan. 6 insurrection and that he feuded with several Fox executives. Carlson even called one senior executive a c—t in a private message.
