A partnership between Don Lemon and Elon Musk has seemingly soured.
In January 2024, TV journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon announced on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that his show, “The Don Lemon Show,” would soon be available for everyone to see — starting with X.
“You’ll find it first on X, the biggest space for free speech in the world,” Lemon wrote at the time. “I know now more than ever that we need a place for honest debate and discussion without the hall monitors.”
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) January 9, 2024
However, in an Instagram post, Lemon stated that Tesla Motors CEO and X Corp. owner Elon Musk is now retracting from teaming up with him despite the platform’s goal to magnify “new and diverse voices.”
“Elon Musk has canceled the partnership I had with X, which they announced as part of their public commitment to amplifying more diverse voices on their platform,” Lemon noted on Instagram.
He added, “Elon publicly encouraged me to join X with a new show, saying I would have his full support,’ and that his ‘digital town square is for all.’”
Based on the Instagram post, Lemon shared that Musk and his management team backtracked from their commitment hours after his interview with the billionaire, which Lemon says had no restrictions and was “respectful.”
In a CNN appearance following the announcement of the contract’s cancellation, Lemon further discussed how Musk advocates for free speech yet was against Lemon’s questioning, including whether Musk feels he has some responsibility regarding hate speech on X.
“Free speech is only important when someone you don’t like — or I would say someone who doesn’t have your same point of view — if they’re allowed to speak freely and to say their point of view,” Lemon said on CNN. “Apparently, that doesn’t matter to Elon Musk, it’s just for maybe talking points for him or rhetoric. It doesn’t seem to matter when it’s questions about him from people like me.”
On March 13, X released a statement that read, “…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.”
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…
— Business (@XBusiness) March 13, 2024
While it is still unclear what led to Musk’s decision, “The Don Lemon Show,” including his episode with Musk, will still be airing and available on streaming platforms on March 18.
