Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk, accusing him of breach of contract and other violations after the cancellation of his planned Twitter talk show. The lawsuit, filed in California Superior Court, outlines several accusations against Musk and his social media platform, X/Twitter.
Lemon’s Allegations and Claims
Lemon’s legal team asserts that Musk’s company engaged in fraud, misappropriation of Lemon’s name and likeness, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of express contract. Carney Shegerian, Lemon’s attorney, stated, “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.”
The Don Lemon Show was set to premiere on March 18. However, on March 13, Lemon revealed that Musk canceled the show just hours after Lemon had completed a planned interview with the billionaire. The suit claims Musk terminated the partnership via a text message stating, “Contract is canceled.”
The Deal and Its Cancellation
According to the lawsuit, Lemon and Musk discussed their partnership in a phone call on June 16, 2023. Lemon expressed concerns about joining X due to ongoing controversies surrounding the platform. The suit reads, “Musk represented to Lemon that he would have full authority and control over the work he produced even if disliked by Defendants, and that there would be no need for a formal written agreement or to ‘fill out paperwork.’”
The agreement included a payment of $1.5 million to Lemon, with $200,000 to be paid upfront and the remainder in quarterly installments. The deal also offered Lemon bonus payments, $500,000 in advertising credits on X/Twitter, and 60% of the gross ad revenue from his content.
Despite the agreement, Musk took to X/Twitter to explain the fallout, stating, “[Lemon] is welcome to monetize on this platform, just like everyone else. What we aren’t going to do is guarantee minimum payments to him, as he was demanding, which would be going beyond everyone else!”
Lemon’s suit seeks an unspecified amount of monetary damages. Shegerian emphasized Lemon’s determination to defend his reputation and hold X’s executives accountable. “Don is an accomplished and hard-hitting journalist who’s committed to defending his good name and holding X’s executives accountable. We look forward to our day in court,” she said.