Don Lemon Says Men And Women Sexually Harassed Him At CNN, Tweaked His Nipples

Don Lemon says both men and women at CNN used to sexually harass him before he was fired in 2023.

Speaking to Bill Maher, Lemon claimed a former female colleague pinched his nipples at CNN’s Atlanta headquarters, joking, "Oh, it’s cold in here."  He said he responded by saying, "OK, you realize if I did that, they’d be walking me out the door right now?"

The former anchor referenced a second woman who he alleged acted inappropriately toward him, despite knowing he was gay:

 "I've never told this story as well; someone who I worked with also harassed me at CNN, First of all, I was so new there — a woman, and she knew I was gay. And it was bizarre.

"She was going through a divorce, it was just weird. And I never went to management. First of all, I thought, like, 'OK, they may find a way to get rid of me because if I told this story, I don’t know if they’re going to believe me or not. But then she was so mean to me after that, I was like, 'I should've told the story.'"

"There are some things that are really egregious, but not everything is Harvey Weinstein-level," Lemon added. "[But] "I’ve been harassed by women and men at work."

Don Lemon at the 9th Annual Blue Jacket Fashion Show held at Lavan Midtown on February 4, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by John Nacion/WWD via Getty Images)

Lemon did not detail any of the alleged incidents involving his former male colleagues.

He also said he never reported any of the incidents to human resources, claiming there was a perceived "double standard" at CNN for male victims.  "They [might have found] a way to get rid of me," he told Maher.

Lemon now hosts an independently-owned podcast on YouTube after a short-lived partnership with X. Following the cancelation of that partnership, he has since sued X owner Elon Musk.

When reached by OutKick, CNN said it has "no comment" on Lemon's allegations of sexual harassment.