On Monday morning, CNN news anchor Don Lemon announced he had been fired by the network after 17 years of service on-air. He did so in a fiery tweet that claimed his former employer sent the news of his termination through his agent instead of contacting him directly.
“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN,” the tweet read. “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.”
But, according to the network, Lemon’s version of events in regard to his recent departure doesn’t paint a full picture of the truth. While CNN Chief Executive Chris Licht shared a memo bidding a fond farewell to the news anchor thanking him for his contributions and claiming Lemon would always be a part of the CNN family, the network also clapped back against the anchor’s claim about the way in which he was notified of his termination.
“Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate,” CNN wrote in a statement posted online. “He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”
The news of Lemon’s termination comes after Variety released a report that alleged a pattern of misogynistic behavior and on-set sexism throughout the veteran reporter’s decades-long career.