Don Lemon, a former CNN anchor, is suing Elon Musk and his social media platform X for breach of contract. The lawsuit alleges that Musk and X failed to uphold their end of a content agreement that would have seen Lemon host his own show on the platform.
The agreement was reached in January and was worth $1.5 million annually, in addition to advertising revenue, creative control, and financial incentives.
According to the lawsuit, Musk made false representations and promises about the exclusive partnership, which was set to feature a show centered around politics, culture, sports, and entertainment.
The show would have been divided into three 30-minute episodes a week, with X given exclusive rights to the content 24 hours before it was shared on other platforms.
Lemon was promised 60% of gross advertising revenue and performance threshold payments based on follower counts.
Lemon claims that he invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into creating the show before Musk canceled the partnership in March.
The complaint alleges that Musk’s decision to terminate the deal was a breach of contract and seeks damages for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, misappropriation of name and likeness, and unjust enrichment.
The lawsuit also alleges that X enriched itself by using Lemon’s name, likeness, and reputation to entice advertisers after several major companies suspended their ads from the platform in 2023.
Musk purchased Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion before rebranding the platform as X. Since the axed deal, Lemon continues to post content on his X account.
Lemon was fired from CNN last year after 17 years with the network following a series of controversial on-air comments and personal scandals.
The lawsuit claims that Lemon was a top prospect for X and that Musk sought to take advantage of his vulnerability after his termination from CNN.
The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount in monetary damages, including attorney fees and injunctive relief.
Representatives of both parties have been contacted for comment. The lawsuit highlights the alleged breach of contract and seeks compensation for Lemon’s losses.
