Don Lemon's Past Relationship With CNN Staffer Under Scrutiny Due to 'Power Imbalance'

By Ashley Turner

Don Lemon's previous relationship with a CNN employee has become controversial due to what some have called a "power imbalance." The incident is detailed in a new exposé by Variety that outlines Lemon's alleged misogynistic, inappropriate, and diva-like behaviors at the cable network from several of his former and current colleagues. The piece explains that Lemon, then 41, began openly dating a newly graduated 22-year-old college staffer, although there was a major age difference and a power imbalance between them. While Lemon was not out of the closet at the time, nor was he hiding it. The pair drove to work in Lemon's car each day and developed a long-term open relationship. At the time, it was considered inappropriate to date a junior employee. "As fast as you could make a rule, Don would bend it," one senior executive said at the time, per Variety. 

Lemon is currently off the market and has been engaged to his long-term partner, Tim Malone, since 2019. In 2015, Lemon and Malone met at a Hamptons hot spot. They started dating the following year and went Instagram official in April 2017. By 2018, they shared a live kiss on CNN to ring in the new year. Malone, who is 18 years Lemon's junior, explained in a 2021 interview that superficial differences do not limit their love. "As a couple, I think we have a pretty interesting story, just in terms of our age difference," he said. "We have different backgrounds, different racial backgrounds… There were a lot of questions when we started dating of what was going to be the issue, and honestly, the fact that we were gay was, like, last on the list."

In response to the Variety report, a spokesperson for Lemon told TheWrap, "The story, which is riddled with patently false anecdotes and no concrete evidence, is entirely based on unsourced, unsubstantiated, 15-year-old anonymous gossip. "It's amazing and disappointing that Variety would be so reckless."The deep dive comes nearly two months after Lemon received backlash for his sexist remarks on CNN This Morning in February, which led Variety to examine his behavior in more detail. When Lemon spoke, he said former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who had just announced her run for president, wasn't "in her prime" because women are "considered to be in their prime in their 20s and 30s and maybe 40s." After his comments sparked criticism, Lemon sat out several subsequent broadcasts of the daily show and agreed to participate in a series of "formal training" sessions following his return. "I appreciate the opportunity to be back on [CNN This Morning] today," Lemon tweeted on Feb. 22. "To my network, my colleagues and our incredible audience — I'm sorry. I've heard you, I'm learning from you, and I'm committed to doing better."

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