Don Lemon claims he was sexually harassed by female colleagues at CNN

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon claimed that he was sexually harassed by female colleagues during his time at the network, including an alleged incident where a female coworker grabbed his nipples.

During an appearance on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast, Lemon discussed his experiences with harassment at CNN.

“I’ve been harassed by women and men at work,” Lemon told Maher. “There are some things that are really egregious, but not everything is Harvey Weinstein-level.”

Lemon recounted one particular encounter with a female colleague at CNN's Atlanta headquarters, where she allegedly pinched his nipples in the cafeteria and joked, “Oh, it’s cold in here!” He said he responded, “OK, you realize if I did that, they’d be walking me out the door right now?” Lemon did not report the incident to human resources.

He also described a second incident with a different female colleague who was inappropriate with him during an off-site interaction. 

“She knew I was gay, and it was just bizarre. She was going through a divorce. It was just weird,” he said. Lemon chose not to report this behavior either, fearing he would not be believed and that it could negatively impact his career at CNN.

Despite these incidents, Lemon suggested that as a man, he felt he could turn down such advances without facing significant consequences. 

“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 explained.

While Lemon did not provide specific details regarding harassment by male colleagues, he did address his past experiences of being molested as a child, connecting those to how he handled harassment 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. He also shared that he preferred to handle situations directly rather than going through HR.

“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.

Lemon was fired from CNN in 2023 after 17 years at the network amid a broader reorganization and ratings concerns. However, Lemon himself was also accused of misogynistic behavior while at CNN. In February 2023, he faced backlash after making comments on-air about presidential candidate Nikki Haley, stating that she, at 51, was “not in her prime.” Lemon was also previously accused of sexist behavior toward female colleagues, as reported by Variety.