Fired CNN anchor Don Lemon alleged that female colleagues sexually harassed him, including one who groped the gay anchor by touching his nipples while exclaiming, “Oh, it’s cold in here!”
Lemon, who was canned in 2023 after a tumultuous 17-year stint at the ratings-challenged network, made the claim during an appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast on Monday.
During the two-hour conversation, Lemon claimed there were uncomfortable encounters involving both male and female colleagues.
“I’ve been harassed by women and men at work,” Lemon told Maher during the two-hour conversation.
“There are some things that are really egregious, but not everything is Harvey Weinstein-level,” he added, referring to the movie mogul who was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison after being convicted for numerous sexual assaults.
Lemon pointed to an interaction with one female CNN co-worker who approached him in the cafeteria of CNN’s Atlanta headquarters and pinched his nipples, joking, “Oh, it’s cold in here!”
The stunned anchor said he told her: “OK, you realize if I did that, they’d be walking me out the door right now?”
Despite feeling uncomfortable, Lemon said he decided not to report the incident to human resources, attributing his silence to a perceived double standard.
Lemon alleged that a second female colleague behaved inappropriately towards him during an off-site encounter.
“She knew I was gay, and it was just bizarre. She was going through a divorce. It was just weird,” Lemon said.
He expressed hesitation about reporting the colleague as he feared that given her professional stature, he would not be believed.
Lemon — whose interview had sparked outrage after he claimed that supporters of President Trump were “really f–king racist,” said he also feared that reporting the incident would jeopardize his own position within the network.
He did not name the alleged harasser.
Pressed by Maher for more details, Lemon clarified that the incident also took place in Atlanta after a professional event.
He recalled how limited transportation options at the time left him stranded, resulting in the woman insisting he stay at her residence.
“‘No, don’t go home. Stay in the guest room,’” Lemon recounted her urging him, adding that she later became notably hostile toward him.
Reflecting further, Lemon shared his perspective on gender dynamics and harassment, suggesting that as a man, he felt empowered to say no without fearing significant repercussions.
“I think it’s flattering as long as you can send them off easily. As a man, I could say, ‘No, I’m not interested’,” he told Maher.
Lemon did not provide any further details about alleged sexual harassment by male colleagues.
Bur he did tell Maher that he had been molested during his childhood. He then drew a nexus between the traumatic experience to the alleged instances of harassment while at CNN.
“Because you know how to deal with it, and you know what’s really important or not. And you know, like, who has the power,” Lemon said.
Lemon said that he would rather handle situations directly rather than escalating them through formal complaints to human resources.
“I figure as a man, I have the power to say, ‘I don’t want to.’ I don’t need to go to HR or ruin your career. I just tell you, ‘I’m not interested in this. You were drunk. We had a couple of drinks or whatever. Let’s let it go’,” Lemon said.
The Post has sought comment from CNN.
Lemon himself was accused of misogynistic behavior during his tenure at CNN, which included several high-profile incidents that generated headlines and outrage.
In December 2022, Lemon asserted that men’s soccer is “more interesting to watch,” leading to an on-air disagreement with co-hosts Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow.
In February 2023, Lemon faced backlash after stating that presidential candidate Nikki Haley, then 51, was “not in her prime,” suggesting that a woman’s prime is in her 20s, 30s and 40s.
This comment was criticized as sexist, prompting Lemon to apologize to his colleagues.
Two months later, the entertainment news magazine Variety reported that Lemon was accused of misogynistic behavior towards female colleagues, including Soledad O’Brien, Kyra Phillips and Nancy Grace.
Lemon is alleged to have questioned O’Brien’s racial identity. Variety also reported that Lemon allegedly threatened Phillips and mocked Grace.
Lemon’s representative denied these allegations, labeling them as “unsourced” and “unsubstantiated.”
Shorlty after the Variety report was published, Lemon was fired by CNN. He has since gone on to start his own podcast.
