Legal Battle: Don Lemon Sues Elon Musk and X for Talk Show Termination

Don Lemon has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and X following the sudden termination of his agreement with the social media company. The lawsuit, reported by Variety, accuses Musk and X of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, misappropriation of his name and likeness, and breach of contract. The show was canceled in March after a heated interview with Musk. According to Lemon's complaint, Musk had assured him that he would have complete control over his show’s content.

The lawsuit, filed on August 1 in the Superior Court of California for San Francisco County, alleges that after Musk’s acquisition of Twitter led to advertiser losses, Musk and X executives sought to use Lemon’s reputation to improve the platform’s image. Lemon had signed an exclusive deal with X in January 2024, after months of discussions that began when Musk approached him in June 2023. Despite initial concerns about X’s controversies, Lemon was promised full creative freedom and no formal paperwork.

In December, Lemon dined with X executives, including CEO Linda Yaccarino and then head of content Brett Weitz. Despite Lemon’s doubts, Weitz assured him of substantial earnings. The agreement required Lemon to produce 10 short-form videos and one long-form video each month exclusively for X. It guaranteed him $1.5 million, with $200,000 paid upfront and the rest in quarterly installments. Lemon also faced significant expenses setting up his media company and creating content.

The deal collapsed after a tense interview in March, where Lemon questioned Musk on political issues and the rise of hate speech on X. Musk reportedly told Lemon, “The only reason I’m doing this interview is because you’re on the X platform.” Shortly after, Lemon was informed via text that the contract was canceled.