Don Lemon Makes First Appearance After CNN Exit

CNN news anchor Don Lemon attends the 11th annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute at the American Museum of Natural History, in New York
11th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute, New York, USA - 17 Dec 2017 — Image Credit: Steven Bergman/AFF-USA.COM / MEG

Don Lemon opened up about his future plans while making an appearance at the Time 100 Gala on Wednesday, April 26. The journalist, 57, walked the red carpet at the event in his first appearance after announcing that he’d parted ways with CNN in a tweet on Monday. Don was all smiles at the star-studded event, just days after revealing his firing.

Don rocked a tux as he walked the red carpet. (Steven Bergman/AFF-USA.COM / MEG)

As Don arrived for the event, he sported a dark blue tuxedo, and he seemed like he was in great spirits, with a huge smile on his face. The anchor opened up about his exit from the network, and he called himself a “survivor.” Don also admitted that he didn’t want to dwell on the past. “Life goes on. That’s behind me and we’ll see what happens in the future,” he told Extra. “I live my life with no regrets and whatever I did, I did, I owned.”

After his surprising departure from CNN, Don admitted that he was going to take some time to focus on himself and relax for a bit. “I’m gonna spend my summer on the beach and on the boat, and with my family. Just chill out and then I’ll see what happens next, but I’m fortunate enough to be in a position where I can do that,” he told the outlet. “I don’t have to rush to another job, even if I want another job.”

Don revealed that he’d been fired in a tweet on Monday, April 24. The anchor, who’d worked at the network for 17 years, claimed that he was completely surprised by his release. “I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” he said. “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. It is clear there are some larger issues at play.”

After Don shared the news, CNN released a pair of statements confirming that he’d been fired. In the first statement, the news organization simply announced that they’d “parted ways.” The second statement denied Don’s claims that he wasn’t informed about his firing. “Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter,” CNN said.