Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty for Disney; Taylor Hill/WireImage
“I know that I’m biased here because Don is my friend and he has been my friend for 20 years,” she shared of her former CNN colleague. “Our offices were directly across from each other, for most of that time that I worked there, and I will say I don’t believe — in my experience with him — that he’s a misogynist.”
She added: “I think he loves women. He loves his mother. He loved his sister. He loves me. He loves [co-host]Joy Behar.”
Hostin said she felt it was unfair to compare Lemon’s firing toTucker Carlson’sexit from Fox News, which was also announced on Monday.
“I hate that people are comparing Tucker’s firing with Don’s firing,” she said. “It’s a false equivalency and just to put a button on it, Don, yes, said some things that were sexist and I think, ageist. He apologized for them and received formal training.”
Behar, 80, shared a similar sentiment, sharing, “[Don] has been on the air for a long time fighting bigotry whereas Tucker has been fermenting bigotry, so there’s a big difference there. And yes, he did say some dumb things.”
Sunny then emphasized: “And apologized, and Tucker never apologized for anything.”
Sara HainesandAlyssa Farah Griffinalso voiced their opinions on the matter, with Haines pointing out that “he’s had some missteps.” She also added how she believes “the writing was on the wall when the new management came… in a way, this was coming down the pipe for a while.”
Meanwhile, Griffin said she thinks Lemon “has the ability that he could have a big future somewhere else, at a big network.”
“I will just say this: if you’re concerned that somebody is a misogynist, why would you put them with two women to do a show?” she asked. “If you feel that concern… so for me, it seemed odd when they gave him that show.”
She continued: “I’ve known Don forever too, I didn’t work with him. We’re just friends.”
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty
On Monday, Lemon alluded to his own surprise at the firing ina tweet published Monday morning—though CNN has since refuted his account.
Lemon continued: “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. 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 that there are some larger issues at play.”
In a tweet, CNN’s PR teamdisputed that the firing came as a surprise. “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.”
Lemon swiftly issued anapologyfor the comment, writing on social media several hours later, “The reference I made to a woman’s ‘prime’ this morning was inartful and irrelevant, as colleagues and loved ones have pointed out, and I regret it. A woman’s age doesn’t define her either personally or professionally. I have countless women in my life who prove that every day.”
Jason Koerner/Getty
As for Carlson, Fox News MediaannouncedMonday that the network and the television personality had “agreed to part ways.”
“We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor,” the network added.
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The Viewairs weekdays on ABC (check local listings).
source: people.com
