An interview fallout made Elon Musk end partnership with Don Lemon

Don Lemon’s collaboration with Elon Musk came crashing down on Wednesday following an interview conducted by the former CNN anchor for the premiere episode of his new independent web show.

In a statement, Lemon mentioned that Musk had publicly encouraged him to join X with a new show, promising his full support. Lemon believed Musk was interested in working with diverse voices and conducted a respectful and wide-ranging interview with him for the first episode of “The Don Lemon Show,” which is set to be released on social media platforms next week.

However, Lemon expressed his disappointment with Musk’s decision to end their agreement, stating that Musk’s commitment to free speech seemed to exclude questions about himself from individuals like Lemon. Musk’s claim of being a free speech absolutist was called into question by Lemon, who highlighted the lack of authenticity and censorship in their encounter.

X defended Musk’s decision and stated that they reserve the right to make business partnerships, ultimately choosing not to enter into a commercial agreement with Lemon’s show. Musk criticized Lemon, accusing the former anchor of lacking authenticity.

Despite the fallout, Lemon’s spokesperson confirmed that the media personality expects Musk to honor the financial terms of their agreement, even if legal action is required. The dissolution of the deal followed Musk’s initial encouragement for Lemon to bring his show to X, promising support and a larger audience.

Musk, known for his contradictory actions on free speech, has faced backlash for endorsing conspiracy theories and extremist rhetoric on his platform. Lemon, who was let go from CNN last year amid controversy, acknowledged his mistakes and took ownership of his actions, unlike Musk who has shown a pattern of limiting critics’ speech.