By Katherine Tinsley
2:28am PDT, Mar 19, 2025
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While talking about his time at CNN, Don Lemon, who was fired in 2023, shared that he was the victim of several HR violations while at the network.
"I have been harassed by women and men in the workplace. And some things are not even — it's ridiculous," Lemon said. "Now look, there are some things that are really egregious, but not everything is Harvey Weinstein-level."
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Don Lemon told Bill Maher a "young lady" once "tweaked" his chest in the CNN cafeteria and yelled, "Oh, it's cold in here!" Lemon pointed out how her actions were perceived differently due to gender biases.
"I said, 'OK, you realize if I did that they'd be walking me out the door right now?' But I didn't care to go to HR," Lemon stated. "I didn't say anything because I was just like, 'It's a double standard, it's fine.'"
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Don Lemon didn't publicize his uncomfortable encounter before his interview with Bill Maher.
"I've never told this story as well, someone who I worked with also harassed me at CNN, and I never went to management," the journalist shared.
"First of all, I was so new there — a woman, and she knew I was gay," Lemon added. "And it was bizarre."
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Don Lemon later revealed the woman was dealing with some personal issues.
"She was going through a divorce, it was just weird," Lemon stated. "And I never went to management. First of all, I thought, like, OK, they may find a way to get rid of me because if I told this story, I don't know if they're going to believe me or not."
"But then she was so mean to me after that, I was like, 'I should've told the story.' But yeah, I've been harassed by men and women," he continued.
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Don Lemon shared that there were a variety of CNN office gatherings that included alcohol, which is when people started to get sloppy.
"There's a lot of cocktail parties, and remember, this was a while ago and there was not Uber or anything like that, and if you are in Atlanta, taxis aren't available," Lemon said. "And so you say, 'Hey, we've had a couple drinks, do you mind I –' 'Oh, no, no, no stay in the guest room,' that sort of thing."
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Don Lemon later referenced Al Franken's misconduct allegations when chatting about his former work environment.
"No one is perfect. Look at Al Franken. It was the dumbest thing that I've ever seen," Lemon stated, before referencing people's push for Franken to resign. "I had a really tough time, I'm in New York, I had a really tough time filling in the dot for Kirsten Gillibrand because she did that and she was such virtue signaling."
"Don, I'm sure if you had a nickel for every time someone's hand drifted down your waist when you were taking a picture with them, you'd be a very rich man," Bill Maher replied. "I'm just guessing."
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Don Lemon later admitted the awkward encounters weren't completely unsettling for him.
"I'm an adult, and maybe I think it is different for men and women, depending on the power structure," Lemon later reflected. "I think it's flattering as long as you can send them off easily. As a man, I could say, 'No, I'm not interested.'"
