Hollywood celebs give Don Lemon a STANDING OVATION at Grammy gala after arrest for storming church

Don Lemon received a standing ovation from music and entertainment industry figures at a high-profile pre-Grammy gala just days after his arrest in Los Angeles, tied to the protest at Cities Church in Minneapolis, where anti-ICE protesters stormed in and disrupted service.

The former CNN anchor was seen attending the Recording Academy and Clive Davis’ Salute to Industry Icons event, an invitation-only gathering held ahead of the Grammy Awards. Video from inside the ballroom shows Lemon standing as attendees applauded, with celebrities seated throughout the venue.

Lemon’s appearance came shortly after the Department of Justice announced charges under the federal FACE Act stemming from a protest earlier this month at Cities Church. Authorities said Lemon was arrested overnight in Los Angeles and later released without bail.

“I will not be silenced,” Lemon said following his release. “I have spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now.”

In a Substack post published Saturday, Lemon addressed the arrest at length, quoting scripture and arguing that press freedom is under threat. “The truth shall set you free,” Lemon wrote. “The free press does not exist to reassure the nation. It exists to reveal it to itself.”

Lemon, 59, also referenced James Baldwin and Dr Martin Luther King Jr in the post, framing the arrest as part of a broader effort to intimidate journalists. “If journalists are silenced, citizens are blinded,” he wrote. “If truth is criminalized, freedom becomes ceremonial.”

President Donald Trump was asked about Lemon’s arrest during a separate appearance and dismissed the former CNN host. “I don’t know anything about the Don Lemon thing, but he’s a sleazebag,” Trump said. “He’s a washup. Probably from his standpoint, this is the best thing that could happen to him.”

Trump added, “He got no viewers. He was a failure. He’s a failed host, and now he’s in the news. I didn’t know anything about it, no.”

Despite the controversy, Lemon’s reception at the Clive Davis event was celebratory. The pre-Grammy gala, traditionally attended by top figures in the music and entertainment industries, honored industry icons and drew a packed audience.