Don Lemon won’t return to CNN despite the resignation of his nemesis Chris Licht, a source close to The Post said on Thursday.
“[I] I do not see any scenario” where Lemon would accept one other position as an on-air personality on the network, the source said.
Lemon was fired by Licht on April 24 after 17 years on the news channel following a series of on-air gaffes and internal feuds.
But Licht’s collapse on Wednesday after a scathing 15,000-word exposé in The Atlantic sparked speculation about whether Lemon “return from exile“.
“I ponder if any of the talents Licht turned down will come back? Don Lemon comes to mind,” one Twitter user wrote.
Some called on the news channel to rehire the “CNN This Morning” presenter.
“I hope whoever comes to run CNN after Licht has the common sense to beg you to come back and give you a hefty sum for it,” one other he wrote.
Why did Chris Licht step down as CEO of CNN?
Chris Licht stepped down as CNN’s CEO Wednesday morning after staff and senior network officials summoned him after a scathing magazine profile.
CNN staffers were furious with Licht’s criticism of the network’s coverage of COVID-19.
Licht’s departure from CNN follows the departure of former CNN CEO Jeff Zucker from the network greater than a yr ago. Zucker was forced to leave after having a relationship with a co-worker.
Licht accused Zucker of undermining his leadership and spreading negative stories about the news operation.
CNN announced that Licht could be replaced by a gaggle “consisting of seasoned program leaders,” including Amy Entelis, executive vp of talent and content development.
Others were upset by Licht’s decision to host a live event at City Hall with Donald Trump.
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Lemon also reportedly relished Licht’s performance after an article in The Atlantic revealed how the network honcho had alienated rank-and-file employees along with his aloof and increasingly paranoid management style.
“He was laughing at Chris’s growing failures,” the source said Online Radar.
The 2 had a strained relationship reportedly on Lemon’s first day of his ill-fated stint as host of “CNN This Morning” – when Licht hated Lemon’s exaggerated attire.
Their conflict deepened when Licht disliked Lemon’s over-the-top commentary on the morning show, including describing 51-year-old Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley as not “in her prime,” The Atlantic reported.
Two heads collided again as Lemon “attempted damage control” following an outcry over a misogynistic comment he was supposed to host a women’s roundtable.
Licht rejected the idea and as a substitute put Lemon on a three-day hiatus, during which the struggling “CNN This Morning” saw a 5% increase in viewership.
Following outrage over the misogynistic comment, a report by The Atlantic revealed that Lemon had told allies that Al Sharpton, Ben Crump and other black leaders would “come to his aid if he was taken off the grid and defend his firing as a move to empower whiteness.” CNN.
A spokesperson for Lemon denied this account and said Licht’s team was spreading rumors about Lemon to divert attention from his own failures as boss.
Licht finally attacked Lemon as he became the major distraction.
According to a fiery tweet, Lemon was allegedly surprised by the news, saying he had been informed that he had been faraway from CNN by his agent, UTA’s Jay Sures.
CNN fired back, calling Lemon’s account of his firing “inaccurate.”
“He was offered a gathering with the board but posted a press release on Twitter as a substitute,” CNN wrote in a tweet.