Don Lemon, a prominent television journalist, recently criticized his former CNN colleague, Chris Cuomo, and SiriusXM host Megyn Kelly, in a candid interview.
Lemon's comments, which included labeling Kelly as a "troll and a racist," have sparked a wave of reactions in the media industry.
According to the Daily Caller, Lemon's critique of Kelly was particularly scathing. He accused her of building a successful career by consistently instigating disputes with public figures and fueling public outrage.
Kelly, a former corporate media personality, has been known for her relentless criticism of former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, transforming her tirades into viral podcast moments.
"The conservatives, you know, have gained a foothold very early on in the streaming arenathats what it is. Megyn Kelly has made a business out of being a troll and a racist, and good for her, but thats not something I want to do," Lemon stated.
Lemon confessed that he initially disregarded Kelly's provocations, but her persistent attacks eventually compelled him to respond. He described her actions as "rude" and felt the need to counter her accusations.
"For the longest time, I ignored her because thats sort of what she wanted. But after a while, it got to me. After the Joy Reid thing, she was just so rude, and she would say things about me. I didnt respond. People would send them to me, but I wasnt going to get in the dirt with her," Lemon explained.
Lemon expressed his disinterest in perpetuating the feud but felt it was necessary to defend himself. He criticized Kelly's tactics, suggesting that she uses controversy as a tool for publicity.
"Im sure she has a PR person behind her sending notes saying, Look, Megyn Kelly called out this person today, do you want to write about it? At least in the beginning, Im sure thats what happened. And that was it. Now Im done with it, unless she does something else thats egregious. But I think it was important to call her out," Lemon said.
Lemon's critique was not limited to Kelly. He also addressed allegations made by his former CNN colleague, Chris Cuomo. Cuomo had claimed that his on-screen camaraderie with Lemon was staged, and that CNN's former President,
Jeff Zucker, had manipulated his appearances on Lemon's show. Lemon, however, dismissed these claims.
"Well, you know, Jeff and I are friends, and I see Jeff and talk to him weeklysometimes a couple times a week, not daily. So I have great affinity for Jeff, and I asked him about that, and he just laughed and said, Thats really sad,'" Lemon recounted.
Lemon refuted Cuomo's claims, asserting that Cuomo had no control over his show and that the segments they shared were his own initiative. He emphasized that the handoffs were his creation, not something orchestrated by Zucker.
"If the shows were reversed, that would make sense. But it was for me to say, OK, Chris, thank you. Goodbye. I could kick him off whenever I wanted to. He had no control over what I said or what came out of my mouth on my show, because he wasnt really a part of my show," Lemon added.
Despite the controversy, Lemon maintains that the handoffs were successful because viewers enjoyed the unscripted banter before he transitioned to the news.
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