**Key Takeaways**
Don Lemon, the former CNN anchor, has ended his partnership with X’s owner, Elon Musk.
Just before the launch of “The Don Lemon Show” on the social media platform, Elon Musk decided to cancel the program.
Lemon shared on X that he learned about the cancellation a few hours after a challenging interview with Musk for the upcoming show.
Lemon commented, “We had a good conversation. Clearly, he felt differently.”
Despite X not airing the series, Lemon plans to release the episodes, including his interview with Musk, on YouTube and other platforms on March 18, the original launch date. He stated, “While Elon goes back on his word, I will be doubling down on my commitment to free speech.”
Don Lemon and Elon Musk were both involved in this situation.
Lemon provided additional details about the disagreement in a follow-up video on Instagram.
He expressed to his followers, “Elon Musk is mad at me. There’s a lot that happened, and I’ll share more in the days ahead.”
After being abruptly let go from CNN in 2023, Lemon explained that his deal with Musk was motivated by a belief in free speech. He thought interviewing Musk, a self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist,” was an obvious choice.
Although Musk initially agreed to the interview, the atmosphere changed during filming.
Lemon felt that despite the tension, the interview was beneficial for the public to see and would offer valuable insights. However, he noted, “It seems free-speech absolutism doesn’t apply to questions about him from people like me.”
Following Lemon’s statements, the X Business account declared that “The Don Lemon Show” could publish its content on X without censorship. They emphasized their support for creators but also mentioned their right to decide on business partnerships. Consequently, X chose not to proceed with a commercial partnership with the show.
Musk criticized the show on his account, suggesting it resembled “CNN on social media” and lacked authenticity. He implied that it was more about Jeff Zucker, the former CNN boss, than Lemon himself. Nevertheless, Musk welcomed Lemon and Zucker to build their audience on the platform.
Besides the canceled project with Don Lemon, X has formed partnerships with Tucker Carlson, Tulsi Gabbard, and Jim Rome for new shows.
Musk has positioned himself as a free speech advocate, notably by purchasing Twitter (now X) and reinstating previously banned accounts. However, his tenure has seen criticism for suppressing free speech, with several company critics being banned or suspended from X.
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