The 57-year-old was ousted from the network on Monday.
Don Lemon opted for a little retail therapy following his ouster from CNN. The 57-year-old was spotted at an Apple Store in New York City on Monday shortly after news broke that the network where he spent nearly two decades abruptly fired him.
Lemon was seen wearing jeans, a black sweater over a white T-shirt, shades and a hat while holding two iPhones. It appears he did a little shopping that day, as a blue shopping bag sits on the table right in front of him. He wasn't alone, either. His partner, the real estate agent Tim Malone, was also there with him.
On Monday (moments after Fox News ousted Tucker Carlson), CNN revealed it had "parted ways" with Lemon, who had spent 17 years at the network as a correspondent and anchor. CNN CEO Chris Licht said in a statement that "Don will forever be part of the CNN family" and he thanked Lemon for his contributions to the network. Following that statement, Lemon took to Twitter to share he was "stunned" by the decision.
"I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN," he shared on Twitter. "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. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network."
CNN later refuted Lemon's claims and called the ex-anchor's statement "inaccurate." In any event, the firing -- which a source told ET left CNN's ex colleagues "floored" -- came after Lemon found himself embroiled in one controversy after another.
Back in February, Lemon drew ire when, while discussing 51-year-old Nikki Haley's presidential bid, he said the politician "isn't in her prime." Afterward, Lemon apologized on Twitter, calling his comment "inartful and irrelevant."
"I regret it," he wrote. "A woman's age doesn't define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day."
Lemon was pulled off-air for his comment, but returned just days after, with Licht promising in an email to staff that the anchor "agreed to participate in formal training, as well as continuing to listen and learn."
More recently, Variety published a damming exposé claiming Lemon had exhibited "troubling treatment of women and unprofessional antics" for nearly two decades. Among the numerous allegations included that Lemon once called one of his producers fat to her face. The same sources told the outlet that Lemon allegedly "mocked" Nancy Grace on-air by mimicking her.
Lemon denied the allegations and spoke out in a statement to ET.
"The story, which is riddled with patently false anecdotes and no concrete evidence, is entirely based on unsourced, unsubstantiated, 15-year-old anonymous gossip," a spokesperson on behalf of Lemon told ET. "It's amazing and disappointing that Variety would be so reckless."
Brian Stelter, CNN's former chief media correspondent, told ET he believes Lemon's firing shows that "the new management of CNN does not want Lemon representing the brand."
"I was not very surprised to see Don Lemon removed at CNN. In fact, what surprised me was that he was able to stay there for so long," he said. "It was pretty clear that the new management at CNN, which admittedly did remove my show, Reliable Sources, last year, was not going to be a fan of Don Lemon. He was moved from primetime to the morning show. They gave him a shot in the mornings, but it always looked like a demotion. Now clearly this is more than a demotion, it was a termination."
The day after his firing, Lemon's former CNN This Morning co-hosts, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, opened the show by wishing him well.
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