Male CNN star claims he was sexually harassed by female colleague who 'touched his nipples'
CNN star Don Lemon claimed he was sexually harassed by both male and female colleagues - including one who 'tweaked his nipples.'
Lemon, 59, described the encounters as 'ridiculous' during a conversation on Bill Maher's Club Random podcast Sunday.
'There are some things that are really egregious, but not everything is Harvey Weinstein-level,' he explained.
The openly gay former CNN host recalled a young woman touching him inappropriately while he was in the CNN cafeteria in Atlanta.
'This young lady tweaked my nipples and said, "Oh, it's cold in here.' I said, "Ok, you realize that if I did that, they'd be walking me out the door right now?"' he told Maher.
Lemon said he 'didn't care to go to HR' to report the incident and 'didn't say anything because it's a double standard.'
The former host said another uncomfortable incident took place with a female co-worker after a work event. Lemon recalled that she offered him a stay in her spare room during a time when ride-hailing services didn't exist.
'I never told this story. Someone who I worked with also harassed me at CNN, and I never went to management,' he said.
'First of all, I was so new there. She knew I was gay. It was just bizarre. She was going through a divorce... It was weird,' he continued.
Lemon said he 'never went to management' about that incident, either, because he feared the network would 'get rid' of him.
'I thought, "Okay, they may find a way to get rid of me, because if I told this story, I don't know if they're gonna believe me or not,' he told Maher. 'But then she was so mean to me after that, I was like, "I should have told the story."'
Lemon worked at CNN from 2006 until he was fired in April of 2023 after making sexist comments on air.
In a statement posted on Twitter at the time, he wrote: 'I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly.
'At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network.
'It is clear that there are some larger issues at play. With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best.'
Shortly after news of Lemon's firing broke, a source told DailyMail.com that 'Don was given every indication when he made the fake a** apology for his disgusting comments and, still, no one wanted anything to do with him.'
The person continued: 'No one owes him anything. He should have had the decency to not be a misogynistic, sexist POS.
'Don truly believed he was going to always get a get out of jail free card because he is black and gay, which worked to his advantage until it couldn't.
'It doesn't matter what color you are or what your sexuality is. He lost the respect of all of the women on staff, and no one wanted to work with him.'
Since he parted from CNN, Lemon has started his own network and become a street journalist, attempting to engage with the public in a more informal setting.
He sparked uproar with other comments he made on Maher's podcast claiming black Trump voters cannot be 'rational.'
'If you become a black MAGA person it's like "whoa let's book this person, let's put him on television,"' he said.
'I don't think you can be black and be a rational MAGA person. I think you can be black and be a Republican.'
Lemon went further, insisting that 'huge' factions of the MAGA world are 'really f*****g racist'.
Maher immediately challenged the claim, telling Lemon: 'I think they would find that very insulting.'
Lemon replied: 'Well, the truth is often insulting.'
He also recently shared bizarre videos of himself posting fliers around New York City asking people to come to his 'birthday party' and knocking on subway windows to get riders' attention.
