CNN’s Don Lemon Denies Accusations of Reckless Behavior and Misogyny

thewrap.com:

published Wednesday, unearthed allegations originating from the cable news anchor’s sprawling career at CNN, including accusations of mocking female staffers and “diva-like” behavior, leading up to Lemon’s recent controversy after declaring that Nikki Haley was not a viable presidential candidate as the 51-year-old “isn’t in her prime.”Citing anonymous sources, the report chronicled rising tension between Lemon and Kyra Phillips, hi co-anchor on CNN’s “Live From” weekday show in the late 2000s.

It stated that a “Live From” producer and a newsroom supervisor had to pull Lemon off the air during a commercial break on more than one occasion because of the anchor’s behavior.

It also documented an incident after Phillips had received an assignment in Iraq that Lemon coveted where he reacted to the news “by tearing up pictures and notes on top of and inside Phillips’ desk in the news pod they shared, according to two sources who worked there at the time.”Phillips declined to comment on the allegations to Variety, while a CNN spokesman told the outlet that “Don says the incident never occurred and that he was never notified of any investigation.

CNN cannot corroborate the alleged events from 15 years ago.”The story also reported instances in which Lemon disrespected commentator Nancy Grace on the air and Soledad O’Brien during an editorial meeting attended by roughly 30 staffers.CNN responded to that allegation saying that “Don, Soledad, and others, have in the past correctly referred to her Afro-Cuban heritage as it is a unique part of her personal story.