According to a recent report, there has been ongoing tension between former CNN host Don Lemon and network executive Chris Licht, stemming from a wardrobe disagreement that surfaced during a rehearsal last fall. As preparation was underway for the debut of CNN This Morning, Lemon surprised produced by returning to the set wearing a white jacket with a fur collar over a turtleneck, leaving them perplexed and unsure of how to proceed, as detailed in the Atlantic.
During the rehearsal of CNN This Morning, a firsthand account of Tim Alberta, a staff writer at Atlantic who was present at the time, reveals that Chris Licht, the network boss, blurted out in the control room, ‘What the f*** is he wearing?’ This spontaneous outburst was in response to Don Lemon’s wardrobe choice, highlighting the intensity of the tension between the two individuals.
A junior producer, with some hesitation, conveyed Licht’s concern to Lemon through his earpiece, resulting in a “miffed” expression from the CNN host. The message relayed was along the lines of ‘Don, uhh, we’re not too crazy about the jacket in here.’ Lemon’s departure from CNN in April, after a long tenure of 17 years, was widely interpreted as a part of Licht’s effort to reshape the network’s perceived liberal bias and transform it into a balanced and fact-centric news organization.
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Deeper insight into the rift between Chris Licht and Don Lemon
According to Alberta’s firsthand account, there were several instances of tension between Licht and Lemon during the rehearsal, which took place four days before the launch of the CNN morning show featuring Kaitlan Collins, Lemon, and Poppy Harlow on November 8. During the rehearsal, Lemon initially wore the jacket that sparked controversy but later removed it during a break. However, when he returned for another segment, Licht remained skeptical of his choice.
The segment in question examined why rapper Kanye West faced severe backlash and lost sponsorship deals for his anti-Semitic rants, while his prior offensive statements about slavery did not receive similar outrage. In response, Licht expressed his concern about the segment’s timing, questioning if viewers tuning in early in the morning had the capacity to process such content.
Credits: New York Post
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During the rehearsal, as Lemon began the segment with a mistake in the reopening line, Licht reacted by telling him to ‘read the f***ing prompter.’ As Lemon continued to deliver his monologue alongside a graphic portraying a tortured slave, Licht expressed his disapproval stating, ‘Way too long—and it’s f***ing morning time. This is morning television.’ The incident exemplifies the strained dynamics between Licht and Lemon.
At another point during the rehearsal, Licht expressed frustration over Lemon’s tendency to provide opinions in every segment. In the control room, he remarked, “I’m going to tell Don, the biggest mistake is commenting after every single story for the sake of commenting after every single story”. He emphasized the need to refrain from making generic comments like, “Oh, that’s horrible”, as it was already understood. Instead, Licht asked Lemon to provide specific insights or add value when needed rather than offering commentary on every single story.
Chris Licht’s career highlights
At the age of 51, Chris Licht assumed the role of chair and CEO of CNN Worldwide in February 2022 after his predecessor Jeff Zucker was dismissed due to an undisclosed romantic involvement with a senior colleague. With a background as an executive producer for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Licht was chosen for the CNN leadership position by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
As directed by Zaslav, Licht’s primary objective has been to guide CNN toward delivering more objective news coverage to appeal to a broader audience.
For the time being, Lemon has not disclosed his future plans after being terminated from CNN.
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