Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has initiated legal proceedings against billionaire Elon Musk and his social media platform X (previously Twitter) for purported fraud and breach of contract following the sudden termination of their content partnership in March.
As per CBS News, Lemon’s lawsuit asserts that Musk and X had assured him complete creative autonomy over his content, irrespective of disapproval from the Tesla CEO and his team.
The agreement, which was expected to secure Lemon $1.5 million in the initial year, never materialized, and Lemon alleges non-receipt of any payment.
Lemon’s lawyer, Carney R. Shegerian, communicated to CBS MoneyWatch that the case is “clear-cut,” alleging that X executives exploited Lemon to enhance their advertising sales proposition but ultimately rescinded the partnership, causing damage to his reputation.
Shegerian stated, “The fraud, negligence, and reputational harm here are evident,” emphasizing Lemon’s determination to protect his name and eagerly anticipate the court proceedings.
The prominently publicized content deal disintegrated less than five months after its announcement and shortly before the scheduled debut broadcast on X in March.
Musk criticized Lemon’s approach as “essentially just ‘CNN, but on social media.'”
Following the cancellation of the deal, Lemon released the inaugural episode on social media featuring a sometimes tense conversation with Musk.
In this interview, Musk defended his use of ketamine for therapeutic purposes and expressed dissatisfaction with Lemon’s interviewing style.
The lawsuit contends that Musk and his representatives purposefully misrepresented their intentions, aiming to exploit Lemon’s reputation for their benefit.
Lemon claims they sought to leverage his name and professional standing to restore X’s image following a controversy involving an allegedly antisemitic post endorsed by Musk that led major advertisers to withdraw from the platform.
Lemon asserts incurring “hundreds of thousands of dollars” establishing his own media company for producing content for X.
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