Don Lemon demanded PODCAST IN SPACE as well as Cybertruck, $5 million advance, equity in X before Elon Musk canceled his deal

Before the cancellation of his partnership with the social media platform X, Don Lemon allegedly made extravagant demands during contract negotiations including hosting the first podcast in outer space via SpaceX, a Tesla Cybertruck, a $5 million advance payment of an $8 million salary, and equity in X.

The list of demands were in a document obtained by the New York Post. ALX also confirmed that the podcast in space in addition to the demands reported on by the outlet.  

Following his ousting from CNN last April over allegations of mistreating colleagues during the network’s morning show, Lemon followed the footsteps of former Fox News host Tucker Carlson by announcing he would be hosting an exclusive show on X. The proposed show, titled "The Don Lemon Show," aimed to offer his perspective on politics, culture, and entertainment, with plans for a 30-minute runtime airing three times a week. 

However, before the show could even air, Lemon's partnership with X was abruptly terminated. 

The announcement came following the recording of the debut episode, which was an interview between Lemon and X owner Elon Musk. The interview, which spanned an hour and a half, covered topics ranging from Musk's political views to his history of drug use and X's content moderation policies.  

Musk himself later criticized Lemon's performance during the interview, describing it as "dull" and "underwhelming." 

"Elon Musk has canceled the partnership I had with X, which they announced as part of their public commitment to amplifying more diverse voices on their platform," Lemon stated in an Instagram post on Wednesday. "He informed me of his decision hours after an interview I conducted with him on Friday. That interview will remain the premiere episode of The Don Lemon Show on Monday, March 18." 

In a recent interview with journalist Kara Swisher, Lemon alleged that X had previously threatened to terminate his contract if he failed to attend the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. These claims were swiftly denied by a spokesperson for X, who dismissed them as a "disingenuous lie." 

Additionally, reports suggested that Lemon had requested lavish accommodations during this convention, including a private jet flight to Las Vegas, a luxury hotel suite for himself and his fiancé, and a company-funded day of indulgence including drinking and massages. 

Negotiations between Lemon and X appeared to sour following these alleged demands. When Musk later announced that Linda Yaccarino would be the new chief executive officer of X, negotiations continued between the tech platform and Lemon over his new show. However, any potential agreement was stalled after Lemon’s outlandish demands, which also included executive assistants and a marketing budget of over $10 million. 

Lemon's team vehemently denied these allegations, asserting that there was no truth to the reported demands. They countered the accusations, stating that "literally nothing" in the list of demands attributed to Lemon was accurate. 

“There is nothing in your list of demands that you claim Don made of X that is true. Literally nothing.” a spokesperson for Lemon said in a rebuttal to the Post.