Embattled CNN Anchor Don Lemon Squirms When Asking If Cancel Culture Has Forgiven Will Smith For Oscars Slap

Don Lemon looked uncomfortable when he was forced to ask the guest on CNN This Morning if cancel culture has forgiven Will Smith for the slap heard around the world after landing himself in hot water over his bad behavior and offensive words, RadarOnline.com has learned.

The 56-year-old television anchor appeared to squirm when addressing Smith's Best Actor win for Emancipation over the weekend, marking the legendary actor's first major win since he was canceled for slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.

Smith was not present to accept his award.

After discussing Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade's LGBTQ speech during the show, Lemon removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes in preparation for the awkward segue he was about to deliver.

Appearing to take a deep breath, the controversial news anchor hesitated before beginning the uncomfortable transition.

"Listen, it shouldn't go unnoticed that Will Smith won the NAACP Image award over the weekend for Emancipation. That's his first major win since the whole Oscar thing. What do you think this means to you? Is it a turning point? Have people forgiven him?" he asked Boston Globe Today host Segun Oduolowu on Monday.

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Lemon may have not wanted to introduce the topic for fear it would reopen his recent scandals. As RadarOnline.com reported, Don faced backlash for saying women are in their primes in their "20s, 30s, and maybe 40s" while discussing presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, 51, and for "screaming" at his co-anchor Kaitlan Collins, 30, for "interrupting" him.

Many, including staffers, wanted him fired for his outrageous comments and verbal outburst.

After his age-shaming remarks, Don took several days off. He phoned into a morning meeting to privately apologize to his co-workers for his offensive statement. Last week, CNN's boss Chris Licht announced the veteran anchor would be returning to the morning show and agreed to undergo "formal training."

Viewers and some of Don's colleagues didn't believe it was enough.RadarOnline.com is told that Lemon is "seething" and "furious" at the negative response his return to the network got.