Don Lemon sues Elon Musk and X over the cancellation of his show

Former CNN host Don Lemon sued X and its owner Elon Musk on Thursday, alleging that the social media company and the billionaire breached their contract with him by canceling his show without paying him.

Lemon, who was axed from CNN in April of last year, claimed he entered into an exclusive deal with X that promised him an annual payment of $1.5 million, full authority over his content, and financial incentives. But the company allegedly pulled out of the agreement after a tumultuous interview between Lemon and Musk earlier this year, and said it would not pay him.

The complaint, which was filed in San Francisco, also accuses the company of fraud and misappropriation of Lemon’s name and likeness. 

“To this day, Defendants have not compensated Lemon pursuant to the exclusive partnership deal that Defendants induced Lemon to enter into,” the filing said, per NBC News.

Lemon claimed that he was pressured into the deal, which did not include a written contract or paperwork, after he was fired from CNN, but that Musk never intended to fulfill his end of the agreement. He also asserted that the company reneged on the deal after Lemon “incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars of expenses in forming his own media company."

"You don’t have to be a genius to see the fraud, negligence, and reputational damage here," Carney Shegerian, Lemon's attorney, told NBC. “This case is straightforward. X’s executives used Don to prop up their advertising sales pitch, then canceled their partnership and dragged Don’s name through the mud. ... Don’s a hard-hitting journalist who’s committed to defending his good name. We look forward to our day in court.”

It is not clear how much the lawsuit is seeking in damages, but the former host alleged that he suffered damages to his career, financial losses, psychological and emotional distress, and humiliation as a result of the deal, according to the filing.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.