Don Lemon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Lemon
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Lemon in 2018
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| Born | March 1, 1966 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
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| Education | Brooklyn College (BA) |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Employer | CNN (2006−2023) |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) |
Tim Malone
(m. 2024) |
| Awards |
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Don Lemon (born March 1, 1966) is an American television journalist. He is well-known for being a host on CNN from 2014 until 2023. Early in his career, he anchored news programs on local TV stations. Lemon also worked as a news reporter for NBC on shows like Today and NBC Nightly News. He won an Edward R. Murrow Award in 2002. This was for his reporting on the capture of the Washington, D.C. snipers. He also received three regional Emmy Awards for his special reports.
He joined CNN in 2006 as a correspondent. He later became famous as the host of Don Lemon Tonight from 2014 to 2022. Most recently, he was a co-host of CNN This Morning. He worked alongside Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow. Lemon left CNN in April 2023.
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Early Life and School
Lemon was born on March 1, 1966, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His mother is Katherine Marie Bouligney. He found out his father was Wilmon Lee Richardson when he was five. Lemon is mostly of African-American background. He also has Creole heritage.
He went to Baker High School. This is a public high school in Baker. He was chosen as class president in his final year.
Lemon attended Louisiana State University. He later graduated from Brooklyn College in 1996. He studied broadcast journalism. While at Brooklyn College, he worked as an intern at WNYW. He also worked for Fox TV stations in St. Louis and Chicago. He was a reporter for NBC stations in Philadelphia and Chicago.
Journalism Career
Starting as a Reporter
Early in his career, Don Lemon worked as a weekend news anchor. He reported for WBRC in Birmingham, Alabama. He also worked for WCAU in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For several years, he was an anchor and investigative reporter for Fox. He worked at KTVI in St. Louis, Missouri, and Fox's Chicago station.
Lemon reported for NBC News in New York City. He was a reporter for Today and NBC Nightly News. He also anchored Weekend Today and shows on MSNBC. In 2003, he started working at WMAQ-TV in Chicago. He was a reporter and local news co-anchor there. He won three Emmys for his local reporting at WMAQ.
Working at CNN (2006–2023)
Lemon joined CNN in September 2006. He often shared his strong opinions while working at CNN. He sometimes criticized cable news. He also spoke about ways the African American community could improve their lives.
In 2014, CNN started trying out prime time shows with Lemon as host. These included The Eleventh Hour. After the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Lemon hosted a special nightly program. It featured discussions about the event. Later, this hour became the news program CNN Tonight. Lemon then became the permanent host of CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. Lemon also took part in CNN's New Year's Eve Live. He reported from a city in the Central Time Zone.
In May 2021, it was announced that Lemon would launch a podcast. It was called The Handoff. On May 17, CNN Tonight with Don Lemon changed its name to Don Lemon Tonight.
In February 2022, CNN announced Lemon would host a talk show. It was for CNN's streaming service CNN+. The show was called The Don Lemon Show. Two episodes were released in April 2022.
On September 15, 2022, it was announced that Lemon would co-anchor a new CNN morning show. He would work with Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow. On October 12, 2022, the morning show was named CNN This Morning. Lemon's time on the show ended when he left CNN in April 2023.
Public Discussions
Don Lemon often shared his views on important topics. In January 2018, he discussed comments made by Donald Trump about certain countries. Lemon stated that "The president of the United States is racist." In March 2016, Lemon interviewed Omarosa Newman and Kellyanne Conway. He cut to a commercial break during the interview.
In October 2018, Lemon discussed the 2018 Jeffersontown shooting. He said that Americans should not "demonize any one group." He also argued that domestic terrorism by white supremacist Americans was a bigger threat. He mentioned that these groups were often "radicalized to the right." Lemon's comments were criticized by some. In response, Lemon referred to data from a government report. This report showed that far-right extremists caused more deaths than Islamic extremists in many years.
Leaving CNN
On April 24, 2023, Don Lemon left CNN. Reports suggested that CNN had trouble booking guests who wanted to appear on air with Lemon. Polls also showed that his popularity among viewers had gone down. Lemon said that his departure was a surprise to him. He stated that the network did not tell him in person. CNN, however, denied this.
New Show (2024)
On January 9, 2024, Lemon announced plans for a new show. It was to be on X. The show was called The Don Lemon Show. Elon Musk, the owner of X, was the first person interviewed on the show. After the interview was filmed, Elon Musk decided to cancel The Don Lemon Show on X. Because of this, the interview was published on YouTube and as a podcast instead. Don Lemon said after the interview, "Elon Musk is mad at me." The interview talked about topics like lawsuits involving Musk and his political views.
Awards and Recognition
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| Organizations | Year | Notes | Result | |
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| Edward R. Murrow Award | 2002 | For his coverage of the capture of the D.C. area sniper | Honored | |
| Chicago / Midwest Emmy Awards | 2006 | For a business story about Craigslist real estate listings, "Life on Craigslist" | Won | |
| For reporting on the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa, "Journey to Africa" for WMAQ-TV | Won | |||
| Ebony Magazine | 2009 | Voted as one of the 150 most influential African Americans | Honored | |
| The Advocate | 2014 | Listed as one of the 50 Most Influential LGBTQ People in Media | Honored | |
| Native Son Award | 2016 | To "encourage the increased visibility and impact of black gay men in society" | Honored | |
| Out Magazine | 2017 | Named as one of "the most influential LGBTQ people in the USA." | Honored | |
| Queerty Magazine | 2019 | Named him one of the "Pride50" "trailblazing LGBT individuals" | Honored |
Personal Life
Lemon lives in an apartment in Harlem, New York. He also has another home in Sag Harbor on Long Island.
In his 2011 book, Transparent, Lemon shared that he is gay. He was already open about this in his personal life. He became one of the few openly gay black men in broadcasting. He also discussed how people are treated differently based on skin color in the black community. He dedicated his book to Tyler Clementi.
On January 31, 2018, Lemon's sister, L'Tanya "Leisa" Lemon Grimes, passed away at age 58. Police said her death was an accidental drowning. Lemon was absent from his show for about a week. He thanked everyone for their support when he returned on February 6.
Lemon met real estate agent Tim Malone in 2016. They started dating after that. The couple got married on April 6, 2024, in New York City.
See also
In Spanish: Don Lemon para niños
- LGBT culture in New York City
- List of LGBT people from New York City
- List of United States over-the-air television networks
- New Yorkers in journalism
- NYC Pride March
- United States cable news
