Don Lemon says CNN ‘terminated’ him

CHICAGO (NewsNation) — Don Lemon, co-anchor of “CNN This Morning,” announced on Twitter that he has been terminated by CNN Monday morning.

In a tweet, Lemon said, “I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned.”

“After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work that I have loved at the network,” he continued.

CNN’s Communications team confirmed the news in a tweet, saying the company and Lemon have parted ways.

“CNN and Don have parted ways. Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors,” CNN Communications tweeted.

News of Lemon’s termination came just under an hour after the news broke that Fox News and Tucker Carlson had parted ways. Carlson’s departure from Fox News came in the wake of the Dominion defamation lawsuit against the news outlet.

The reason behind Lemon’s termination has not been disclosed.

However, back in February, Lemon had faced criticism over his comments about Republican Nikki Haley and women being in their “prime.”

“This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable. I think it’s the wrong road to go down. She says people, you know, politicians or something are not in their prime,” Lemon said on the air. “Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime, sorry.”

Lemon had since apologized for his comments but was even condemned by CNN CEO Chris Licht.

Lemon had hosted a show in prime time on CNN for years. Last fall, the anchor was tapped by network leadership to host its revamped morning program. At the time, Lemon insisted he “was not demoted” and said he was looking forward to the new challenge.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.