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The online feud started this week after Don Lemon claimed that a deal he was negotiating to host 'The Don Lemon Show' on X has been canceled by Elon Musk over the Tesla chief's first interview with the disgraced ex-CNN host which will be published Monday on X, Rumble and other platforms.
X has reportedly said the partnership with Lemon which was announced in January, has not been finalized and that the social media company “did not have a final or signed agreement with Don Lemon or ‘The Don Lemon Show'” before Musk sat down for the interview last week.
Lemon had claimed otherwise on Wednesday while revealing the cancellation. He accused Musk of being a hypocrite on the issue of "free speech," for canceling the deal because the Tesla chief supposedly did not like how the interview was conducted. The contract was reportedly terminated hours after the one-on-one sit-down, with Musk calling the ex-CNN host “dull” and “underwhelming.”
However recent reports casts doubts on Lemon's claims that he was dumped by X because Musk reneged on his “free speech” pledge; and may be an attempt by the ex-CNN host to preempt and spin revelations of the ridiculous demands he had made during the contract talks.
The disgraced ex-CNN host had reportedly sent over an astronomical wish list to Musk during contract negotiations -- including a free Tesla Cybertruck, a $5 million upfront payment on top of an $8 million salary, an equity stake in the social media company, and the right to approve any changes in X policy as it relates to news content.
Lemon who is a homosexual, also reportedly wanted to be flown to the Consumer Electronic Show(CES) in Las Vegas -- which was held earlier this year between Jan. 7 and 10 -- with his longtime fiance on a private jet, and be put up in a private suite, as well as for X to foot the bill for alcoholic beverages and massages that he and his fiance ordered during their stay at the Vdara, the MGM-run resort on the Las Vegas Strip. He had claimed in a Friday interview that they held discussions over the summer in which the company threatened to fire him if he did not attend the CES. A spokesperson for X called Lemon’s claim “a disingenuous lie.”
Unconfirmed reports revealed that the disgraced ex-CNN anchor also wanted to host the first podcast in outer space facilitated by Musk's company SpaceX.
The contract negotiations, which had reportedly progressed after Musk hired Linda Yaccarino as chief executive officer of X, stalled over Lemon’s extensive demands, which included executive assistants as well as a marketing budget that ranged from $10 million to $15 million.
In a post on @XBusiness account, the company said: "X is a platform that champions free speech, and we’re proud to provide an open environment for diverse voices and perspectives. The Don Lemon Show is welcome to publish its content on X, without censorship, as we believe in providing a platform for creators to scale their work and connect with new communities. However, like any enterprise, we reserve the right to make decisions about our business partnerships, and after careful consideration, X decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show."
Musk wrote in separate posts on X:
"[Lemon] is welcome to monetize on this platform, just like everyone else. What we aren’t going to do is guarantee minimum payments to him, as he was demanding, which would be going beyond everyone else!"
"Unfortunately, all [Lemon] wants to do is rehash the dying CNN business model “but on social media”, which will do even worse here than it did on cable TV."
"Even though I think Don is a pompous fool who spouts nonsense, he is still free to upload his show to 𝕏 and will receive advertising revenue."
"Don is still putting his (very annoying) show on this platform, it’s just that we are not willing to guarantee minimum payments to him."
Lemon on his part wrote on X: "I welcome the opportunity to share #TheDonLemonShow on X and I challenge you @Elonmusk to actually watch it and then tell me it isn’t exactly what you said you want on your platform. Tune in March 18."
Revelation of Lemon's wish list instantly drew swift and hilarious reactions on social media. Memes on social media mocked the disgraced ex-CNN host.
Lemon’s discussions with X reportedly began shortly after he was fired last April by CNN over his show's low ratings and after a series of high-profile controversies surrounding the far-left host.