who is don lemon and what did he do

Don Lemon is a prominent American television journalist and media personality known for his long tenure at CNN. Born on March 1, 1966, he built a career spanning local news, national reporting, and prime-time anchoring before transitioning to independent ventures.

Early Career

Lemon started in local TV as a weekend anchor at stations like WBRC in Birmingham and WCAU in Philadelphia. He advanced to investigative reporting at KTVI in St. Louis and NBC affiliates, earning three regional Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award for his coverage of the Washington, D.C. sniper captures.

CNN Rise and Key Shows

Joining CNN in 2006 as a correspondent, Lemon gained fame hosting Don Lemon Tonight (2014–2022) and co-hosting CNN This Morning with Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow. He covered major events like Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the Arab Spring, Osama bin Laden's death, and the 2011 Japan earthquake, often delivering outspoken commentary on race, politics, and media.

Controversies and CNN Exit

Lemon's tenure included polarizing moments, such as strong opinions on the African American community and public critiques of cable news. Reports of alleged misogyny and on-air controversies led to his firing by CNN in April 2023 after 17 years.

Post-CNN Ventures

Since leaving CNN, Lemon launched The Don Lemon Show podcast in 2024, updated semiweekly as of January 2026, focusing on social issues, race, pop culture, and current events with his signature truth-telling style. He's also appeared in specials like TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy and remains active in advocacy as an openly LGBTQ+ figure.

Milestone| Year| Details
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Local Anchoring Start| 1990s| Birmingham, Philadelphia, St. Louis7
CNN Join| 2006| Correspondent to prime-time host1
Emmy Wins| 2000s| Three regional; one Murrow1
CNN Exit| 2023| Fired amid controversies7
Podcast Launch| 2024| The Don Lemon Show 2

TL;DR: Don Lemon rose from local news to CNN stardom, hosted hit shows, faced backlash leading to his 2023 exit, and now runs a podcast blending journalism with personal takes—trending lately for ICE raid commentary.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.