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Former CNN host Don Lemon on Thursday sued Elon Musk and his social media platform X (formerly Twitter) after the $1.5M one-year deal to host a talk show on X fell apart.

BBC News

New York Times

After Lemon's exit from CNN last year over controversial comments about Nikki Haley, Musk reached out to him to launch a new show on X.

However, after just one episode of "The Don Lemon Show" — in which Musk was the guest and was asked about his drug use and hate speech on X — Musk abruptly canceled the deal.

Shortly after, Musk wrote on X that Lemon's approach "was basically just 'CNN, but on social media." Lemon's lawsuit comes less than five months after the deal crumbled.

In the lawsuit filed in the San Francisco Superior Court, Lemon accused Musk and X of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, misappropriation of his name and likeness, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment.

CNBC

He also alleges that Musk and X "deliberately misrepresented what they intended to do" and used the news of their content deal to boost X's profile, then scrapped it without compensating him.

CNBC #

Former CNN host Don Lemon on Thursday sued Elon Musk and his X platform, previously known as Twitter, after a deal to host a talk show on the billionaire's platform quickly evaporated.

BBC News #

After Lemon was fired from CNN over controversial comments about then-Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley in April last year, he was courted by executives at X to launch a new version of his show on their platform.

CNN #

However, after just one episode of "The Don Lemon Show" — in which Musk was the guest and could be seen to be irritated by Lemon's line of questioning — Musk abruptly cancelled the deal.

Shortly after, Musk wrote on X that Lemon’s approach "was basically just 'CNN, but on social media,' which doesn’t work, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying."

In the lawsuit, filed in the San Francisco Superior Court, Lemon accused Musk and X of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, misappropriation of name and likeness, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment. He seeks damages and other forms of compensation.

Carney Shegerian, representing Lemon in the case, said in a statement: "This case is straightforward. X executives used Don to prop up their advertising sales pitch, then canceled their partnership and dragged Don’s name through the mud. You don’t have to be a genius to see the fraud, negligence, and reputational damage here." Representative of X did not respond to requests for comment.

Musk and X sought out Lemon in an attempt to revitalize the platform after dozens of advertizers pulled out over its content moderation policies. Lemon has a good chance in this suit after Musk abruptly pulled out of their deal.

Elon Musk sued by ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon over canceled X deal

During negotiations, Lemon sought out numerous benefits to host his show on the X platform. Could he really be so surprised that the deal was cancelled once he went after the man paying his bills?

New York Post

New York Post #

Fired CNN anchor Don Lemon sues Elon Musk over canceled X deal

There's a 1% chance X will declare bankruptcy in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Metaculus

Metaculus #

X bankruptcy in 2024?

Scott Olson/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images

Don Lemon Sues Elon Musk Over Cancelled Talk Show

Musk and X sought Lemon to revitalize the platform after dozens of advertisers pulled out over its content moderation policies. Musk must compensate and pay for damages after unfairly terminating the multi-million-dollar partnership deal.

Besides promising Lemon 60% of gross advertising revenue, Musk had agreed to pay Lemon several financial perks. Musk has shown enough generosity, and he can't be forced to satisfy Lemon's greed — he had reportedly demanded a $5M upfront — and receive brickbats in return.

There's a 1% chance that X will declare bankruptcy in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

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Don Lemon Sues Elon Musk and X Over Canceled Show

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