CNN may reach out to Don Lemon for a potential return after the firing of former CEO Chris Licht. Sources suggest this wouldn’t be surprising due to long-standing tensions between Chris and Don. Chris clashed with Don many times about things Don said on-air and an outfit choice Don made. Don claimed he was blindsided by his April termination, and many insiders saw this as a way of saying Licht was fighting for his own job. Amy Entelis, someone Don has been close with for nearly 15 years, has been tapped as one of the network’s interim leaders. Don is taking the summer off but is open to hearing out all options.
According to a report from TMZ, Don Lemon may be able to make a return to CNN after the firing of former CEO Chris Licht. Sources familiar with the situation say that this potential reversal of fortune wouldn’t be shocking due to the well-documented and long-standing tensions between Chris and Don.
As we previously reported, Chris took over as CNN’s head honcho in May 2022 and clashed with Don many times about things Don said on-air, as well as an outfit choice Don made for the premiere of “CNN This Morning.” This tension ultimately led to Don’s termination in April after 17 years with the network.
Many insiders saw Don’s termination as a not-so-subtle way of saying Licht was fighting for his own job. Now that Licht has been fired, it’s possible that CNN may reach out to Don in the near future.
It’s been less than a day since Licht’s ouster, so none of the execs at CNN have reached out to Don or his people just yet. However, Amy Entelis, CNN’s Executive VP for Talent and Content Development, has been tapped as one of the network’s interim leaders, and she’s someone Don’s been close with for nearly 15 years.
Meanwhile, Don is taking the summer off from work, but he’s still entertaining all meetings and is open to hearing out all options. It’s clear that Don still has a lot of support from his fans and colleagues, and it’s possible that he could make a comeback at CNN in the future.
Never say never, as they say. Only time will tell if Don and CNN will be able to put their differences aside and work together again. But for now, Don is enjoying his time off and keeping his options open.
