What CNN Drama? Carefree Don Lemon All Smiles As He Hits The Beach With Fiancé Tim Malone As 'Sexist' Scandal Heats Up

CNN host Don Lemon seemed to brush off the recent drama sparked from his comments about Nikki Haley, hitting the beach with longtime partner Tim Malone.

RadarOnline.com has learned the anchor was spotted enjoying the Miami sun on Friday, looking carefree while taking a dip in the water at the $2,000-a night luxury beach resort Faena amid the uproar stemming from his on-air assertion that the presidential candidate, 51, is not "in her prime."

During Thursday's episode of CNN This Morning, Lemon and co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins discussed Haley's remark during her campaign announcement which called for "mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over 75 years old."

Lemon, 56, explained Haley's "talk about age" made him uncomfortable and said her comments were the "wrong road" to go down, stating that she "is not in her prime."

"A woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s," he continued, leading to criticism from viewers, other staffers and boss Chris Licht.

Harlow was taken aback during the exchange, and when the show went to a commercial break, insiders said that she stood up and walked off the set.

Lemon was all smiles in the newly captured photos at the end of the week, appearing to be in good spirits as he and Malone spent the afternoon by the ocean following a tense editorial call.

Licht began the 9 AM call, which Lemon phoned into briefly from Miami this morning, stating the remarks about Haley left him "disappointed."

"His remarks were upsetting, unacceptable and unfair to his co-hosts, and ultimately a huge distraction to the great work of this organization," Licht said.

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Lemon was noticeably absent from the broadcast on Friday after many condemned his comments as "sexist" and "inappropriate," something he apologized for both on Twitter and during the editorial call, explaining that he did not mean to offend anyone.

"I'm sorry that I said it," he told fellow staffers.

"I certainly see why people found it completely misguided," Lemon continued. "When I make a mistake, I own it. And I own this one as well."