Following Don Lemon’s firing at CNN after months of misconduct allegations, there’s been a lot of talk about why he was let go. Now, The View’s Sunny Hostin, who explained that she was friends with the former anchor, is sharing her thoughts on his firing, saying “it doesn’t make sense.”
Hostin was among the attendees at the “Politics & Inclusion” dinner, a pre-cursor to the White House Correspondents Dinner. While there, The View panelist shared her thoughts on Don Lemon’s firing, and the media landscape in general, noting that she’s “biased” when it comes to Lemon. Speaking directly about the former CNN anchor, she told People:
I am biased because I’ve been his friend for 10 years. Our offices were right across the hall from each other at CNN. I vacationed with him. I know him extremely well, and it doesn’t make sense to me. It is not my experience with him. It is not the experience that I saw with other journalists.
She continued to talk about Lemon, and her experience working with him, telling a story about when they reported together from Ferguson, South Carolina:
I was on the ground with him in Ferguson. I was on the ground with him in South Carolina for the shootings there, the church. I have covered many stories, and he has made sure to look out for me. He has made sure to give me airtime. I know for a fact when there have been allegations against some of his team members, he has spoken up and spoken out for women. So it’s unfortunate that this narrative is coming out — or is being played out — because I don’t think it’s true.
For context, Lemon’s firing came a few months after he faced backlash over “sexist” comments he made on air about Nikki Haley. He also faced multiple allegations regarding misconduct in the workplace. The day after it was announced he no longer worked at CNN and would not be appearing in another episode of CNN This Morning on the 2023 TV schedule, his former co-anchors, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, addressed his absence and read an official statement from the network.
Since then, it’s come out that Lemon is reportedly preparing for a possible legal fight with the network. Although when asked what is next for him, the former CNN anchor said “I’m great,” explaining that he would be enjoying the summer.
Along with bringing up her disapproval of Lemon’s firing, Hostin also talked about MSNBC’s Tiffany Cross, who was fired by that network last November. The View star made a point to note she thinks both their departures made her “disappointed, actually, in the state of things.” She said:
I’d like to see improvement with more representation. I thought, you know, we were in a place where we had people and voices like Don Lemon and like Tiffany Cross. And I think we’re seeing the media go backwards a bit when you’re looking at people that have been the voice of news and addressing head-on in an unfiltered and unvarnished way, the real-life and lived experience of people of color.
Along with these comments, Hostin also explained on an episode of The View earlier this week that she disapproved of Lemon’s firing. She made it clear she believed he shouldn’t be compared to Tucker Carlson, who was fired by Fox News this week as well. She did admit that her former colleague said “sexist” and “ageist” things, however, said he apologized and received “formal training.”
As more news continues to come out about Don Lemon leaving CNN, we’ll be sure to keep you posted.