A new report from Variety claims that CNN morning host Don Lemon has a lengthy history of toxic behavior that includes what many former colleagues describe as misogynistic.
Lemon earlier this year got himself into trouble when he made a sexist remark about Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley appearing to be "past her prime" as a politician, despite the fact that she's significantly younger than both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
However, sources tell Variety that Lemon's sexist remarks about Haley are really just the tip of the iceberg, as they say he has repeatedly shown blatant disrespect toward his female colleagues.
According to the publication's sources, the first major instance of Lemon's toxicity came when an internal CNN investigation found that he left threatening messages for colleague Kyra Phillips after she was assigned to report from the Iraq War, which was a beat that Lemon had wanted to cover.
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"Now you’ve crossed the line, and you’re going to pay for it," read one text message sent to Philips' phone, although Lemon denies that he was responsible for sending it.
Another instance occurred when Lemon allegedly "shocked" colleagues by mockingly mimicking Nancy Grace on air, which one source said revealed that he "was kind of volatile and didn’t say good things about women."
Soledad O'Brien, who was also allegedly a target of Lemon's misogynistic attacks, told Vanity Fair on the record that "Don has long had a habit of saying idiotic and inaccurate things."
And another source tells the publication that Lemon routinely engages in "diva-like behavior" that included "skipping editorial calls, showing up late to the newsroom or just generally exhibiting disengaged behavior."
