Don Lemon Laughing at Chris Licht's Exit and CNN's Awful Ratings: Sources
June 8 2023, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Don Lemon has enjoyed watching Chris Licht's downfall and was extremely pleased to see him let go this week, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to sources close to the situation, the fired anchor has been “laughing at Chris’ mounting failures” for weeks and his termination was icing on the cake.
An insider said Lemon has even floated the idea of returning to CNN "to save the network.”
As CNN fell into total chaos under Licht's direction, ratings continued to drop by the week.
Sources revealed that morale at CNN plummeted along with the ratings, which nosedived a whopping 61 percent in March. Overall, ratings have declined 35 percent since Licht took the helm last year.
“CNN staffers feel embarrassed to be part of the systematic destruction of a once respected news brand,” said a source previously. “People consider Chris to be the worst network head they’ve ever seen.”
Lemon, 57 — along with Chris Cuomo and even Licht’s predecessor Jeff Zucker, 58 — are said to be overjoyed with CNN's downfall and believe they could make a return to their old roles.
“Jeff has a huge ego, and Chris and Don were his boys,” said a source before Licht's resignation. “Chris is biding his time at fledgling NewsNation while Don has a non-compete that keeps him from working elsewhere for two years. Both believe Chris did them dirty.”
“And Jeff is convinced he could return and fix all the problems, and he’d start by bringing back his handpicked talents. The staff believes in him and would be thrilled if he came back. Let’s face it — he couldn’t make things any worse!” said a source.
As we reported in April, Lemon was fired by Licht.
“Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years,” Licht said in a statement. “We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”
Lemon said he was “stunned” by the decision.
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“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,” Lemon said.
Lemon hired powerhouse attorney Bryan Freedman to represent him in negotiations with CNN.
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