Left-leaning former CNN anchor Don Lemon mentioned Wednesday he’s quitting Elon Musk’s social media platform X — blaming the location’s new coverage for all authorized disputes to be heard in Texas.
Lemon — who’s at the moment suing Musk in California after having his present on X canceled by the mogul — claimed the upcoming change within the phrases of service would hamper free speech.
“I once believed that it [X] was a place for honest debate and discussion, transparency and free speech, but I now feel it does not serve that purpose,” Lemon instructed his 1.5 million followers on X in a video.
X’s new phrases of service, which take impact Friday, mandate that each one lawsuits be filed within the US District Court docket for the Northern District of Texas – not the Western District of Texas, the place the corporate is headquartered.
Ten of the 11 energetic judges within the Northern District have been appointed by a Republican president, in comparison with six of the 11 judges within the Western District, in keeping with Georgetown College regulation professor Steve Vladeck.
Lemon quoted a report in The Washington Publish, which mentioned X’s new coverage “ensures that such lawsuits will be heard in courthouses that are a hub for conservatives, which experts say could make it easier for X to shield itself from litigation and punish critics.”
“I think that speaks for itself,” Lemon mentioned, earlier than plugging his YouTube, TikTok, Fb, Instagram and Bluesky accounts.
Representatives for X didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
Customers on X have been fast to criticize Lemon for fleeing the platform.
“Don lemon leaving X because he can’t district shop for radical judges when he sues small accounts,” one consumer wrote.
One other prompt Lemon was leaving X as a result of it “no longer censors. I cannot compete in the arena of ideas, therefore, I am leaving. MSM [mainstream media] creating their own extinction: that was easy.”
A 3rd consumer appeared to recommend Lemon was abandoning X over his contentious relationship with proprietor Elon Musk.
After Musk abruptly axed plans for Lemon to host a present on X, the previous CNN anchor sued Musk over the summer season for refusing to pay him.
Musk had fired Lemon hours after a testy sit-down, which was meant to be the present’s premiere episode.
“Remember when Don Lemon tried to make ludicrous demands of Elon Musk in order to do a show on X? That was funny,” the consumer wrote.
Lemon – regardless of having been fired from CNN mere months earlier than Musk’s X present provide – allegedly had a prolonged checklist of extravagant calls for for his contract with Musk. He anticipated a free Cybertruck, internet hosting dibs on the primary podcast in house, a $5 million advance on high of an $8 million wage and fairness within the firm, as The Publish’s beforehand reported.
In a September submitting in San Francisco federal courtroom, Musk and X requested a federal decide to dismiss Lemon’s lawsuit.
Lemon is claiming X defrauded him as a result of he “incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses” to organize for the present, in keeping with the go well with. The go well with additionally claims Musk used Lemon to spice up the corporate’s advert gross sales.
Musk mentioned he did nothing mistaken by allegedly telling Lemon there was “no need” to signal a contract. It was unreasonable for Lemon to depend on an announcement and never a written contract for a multimillion-dollar partnership, Musk mentioned.
Carney Shegerian, a lawyer for Lemon, mentioned X’s response confirmed that Musk fired Lemon after the journalist requested questions Musk didn’t like.
Lemon steered away from his authorized battle with Musk in his “goodbye” video.
The cable host has confronted his share of scandals throughout his 17 years at CNN earlier than being fired in April 2023.
In December 2022, the longtime community anchor reportedly “screamed” at his co-anchor Kaitlan Collins after an on-air phase, in keeping with The Publish’s reporting.
One supply mentioned Collins “was visibly upset and ran out of the studio.” One other mentioned Collins wished to “be on set with Don as little as possible” after the incident.
