Former CNN star Don Lemon has filed a lawsuit against multi-billionaire Elon Musk and his social media company X, previously known as Twitter, alleging breach of contract and unfair practices related to a cancelled talk show deal.
The lawsuit, filed in California Superior Court in San Francisco, claims that Musk and X terminated a partnership with Lemon without just cause and failed to compensate him, despite using his name to attract advertisers to the platform. Lemon’s legal team, Shegerian & Associates, has accused X of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and misappropriation of his name and likeness.
According to the filing, X had agreed to pay Lemon $1.5 million and provide a share of advertising revenue generated from his content. The lawsuit alleges that Musk and X made “false promises and representations” to convince Lemon to enter the deal, which fell apart after the recording of the first episode of “The Don Lemon Show” in March. The episode featured an interview with Musk and was intended to boost X’s appeal to advertisers.
Musk, who was reportedly critical of the show, described Lemon’s approach as merely “CNN, but on social media,” suggesting that such a concept was unviable. Lemon’s show was designed to be a part of X’s broader strategy to revitalize its advertising revenue amid a series of controversies following Musk’s takeover in 2022.
Lemon, who was fired from CNN in April 2023 following controversial remarks about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, had been in talks with Musk shortly after his departure.
Musk’s outreach aimed to draw advertisers back to X, but the platform has faced setbacks, including the withdrawal of Paris Hilton’s advertising campaign in November, further complicating its efforts to stabilize.
The lawsuit highlights the ongoing challenges X faces as it attempts to recover from its turbulent transition under Musk’s ownership. The case has drawn attention to the broader struggles of social media platforms in retaining and attracting high-profile content creators and advertisers.
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