CNNs Agreement with Don Lemon to Pay Him at Least $25M, but Legal Battle Looms for More Money

After being let go, Don Lemon, the 51-year-old former co-host of “CNN This Morning,” is set to depart from CNN with the assurance of receiving at least $25 million. However, he is reportedly preparing for a potential legal showdown with his former employer.

Lemon’s contract with CNN, which was signed in September 2022, was a lucrative $7 million-a-year deal that spans until 2026, according to a report from Page Six.

On Tuesday, April 24, it was disclosed that Lemon has enlisted high-profile Los Angeles entertainment attorney Bryan Freedman to facilitate his departure and explore the possibility of further compensation, as stated in the report.

Freedman, a co-founder of the law firm Freedman & Taitelman LLP, is also representing Lemon’s former CNN colleague Chris Cuomo, who is currently in arbitration with CNN, seeking $125 million for his termination. Cuomo was dismissed in 2021 for advising his brother, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, during the latter’s public scandals.

A source familiar with Lemon’s contractual arrangement at CNN informed the publication, “Don was signed on a high seven-figure deal for the morning show last September and is assured by CNN he will be paid the remainder of his contract, which runs until 2026.”

“He has retained lawyer Bryan Freedman to conclude this deal, and also to investigate if Don could be eligible to further damages surrounding the conditions of his exit,” the source further added.

Meanwhile, Chris Cuomo is still entangled in legal proceedings with the network, contending that he was owed a staggering $125 million payout due to alleged defamation by CNN upon his departure. He referred to his termination by CNN as “the epitome of hypocrisy” in the legal documents.

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