CNN accused Don Lemon of lying on Monday after the fired anchor claimed that none of the network’s top brass reached out to tell him he was out of a job.
Lemon, whose final months at CNN were marred by a series of high-profile scandals, had suggested earlier in the day that he was blindsided by the news of his dismissal.
“Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter,” CNN said in a statement posted on its PR team’s Twitter account.
The scorching statement directly refuted Lemon’s claim less than an hour earlier regarding the circumstances of his sudden exit.
“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 that someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly,” Lemon said in a statement on his own Twitter account.
“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,” he added. “It is clear that there are some larger issues at play.”
The network’s initial statement on Lemon’s exit was far more deferential, noting that the two sides had “parted ways.”
“Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors,” CNN had said earlier in the day.
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