Don Lemon Speaks out in First Comments Since CNN Firing

Don Lemon is looking to the future after being fired by CNN. The longtime CNN anchor and correspondent, who was announced to have “parted ways” with the network after 17 years Monday, kept his spirits high as he addressed his next chapter for the first time on the TIME 100 Gala red carpet Wednesday. Joined by his fiancé, Tim Malone, Lemon told Entertainment Tonight he was “doing well” after the week’s events.

“I am happy to be moving in a new direction,” he continued. “I’m going to miss all the talented people and journalists at CNN, who are my friends and who I love, and who I’ve been speaking to.” The journalist reiterated, “I’m fine, life is good, I’ve got my beautiful fiancé here and we’re all good.” In the immediate future, the longtime anchor said he is looking forward to “summer on the beach and on the boat, chilling with my family,” but he played coy when asked about his next career move. “I’m just chilling out and we’ll see what happens next,” he added. “One day at a time and one foot after the other.” 

When it comes to his time at CNN, Lemon said he has no regrets, answering, “No, this is life. You get one life, and I have no regrets.” The former anchor continued, “I live my life virtually carefree and regret-free. You can’t change the past, you can only move into the future and live in the present. And that’s what I’m doing.”

CNN CEO Chris Licht announced Monday that the network and Lemon had “parted ways,” shortly after news that Tucker Carlson was exiting Fox News. “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years,” his statement said. “We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”

Lemon took to Twitter to express his shock at the decision to terminate him and the manner in which he was informed of CNN’s choice. “I am stunned,” he wrote, claiming that it was his agent who broke the news to him. “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly.” CNN would go on to refute Lemon’s account of his firing as “inaccurate,” saying in a tweet that he was offered a chance to meet with management but “instead released a statement on Twitter.”