Don Lemon Sues Elon Musk

Former CNN journalist Don Lemon is suing Elon Musk and X (formerly Twitter) for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, misappropriation of his name and likeness, and breach of contract. Filed on August 1, 2024, in California’s Superior Court, the lawsuit claims that Musk and X canceled a content partnership deal without fulfilling agreed terms. Lemon alleges that he was promised $1.5 million, ad revenue shares, performance bonuses, and content ownership in a January 2024 deal. However, Musk canceled the deal via text in March 2024, shortly after a contentious interview between the two.

Lemon’s attorney, Carney Shegerian, accused X executives of using Lemon to boost their advertising sales pitch and then damaging his reputation by canceling the partnership. Despite Musk’s public remarks against Lemon, including tweets, X stated that while Lemon could still publish content on their platform, they opted not to pursue a commercial partnership. Musk criticized Lemon’s approach as outdated and unprofitable. Lemon, fired by CNN in 2023 amid allegations of inappropriate behavior, seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Source: Variety