Elon Musk is killing Don Lemon’s new show X before it even starts

X has canceled a high-profile partnership with former CNN host Don Lemon to stream a video talk show on the platform. Lemon said the company canceled his contract hours after he interviewed billionaire X owner Elon Musk for the first episode of “The Don Lemon Show,” which was scheduled to air on the platform this Monday.

“Elon Musk is mad at me,” Lemon said in a video posted on X on Wednesday. “Obviously the absolutism of free speech doesn’t apply when it comes to questions about it from people like me.”

Lemon’s announcement came a day after the company’s CEO Linda Yaccarino declared that X is becoming a “video-first” platform. It announced the partnership with Lemon in January as part of a larger strategy to stream more original content on the service. This includes making deals with former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and sports radio commentator Jim Rome to host their own shows on the platform. Last year X was reported to have done a similar transaction with Tucker Carlson after he was fired from his Fox News hosting duties. X’s decision to cancel Lemon’s show raises questions about the company’s strategy.

“The Don Lemon Show is welcome to publish its content on X, uncensored, as we believe in providing a platform for creators to scale their work and connect with new communities,” X said in a statement. “However, like any business, we reserve the right to make decisions about our business partnerships and after careful consideration, X has decided not to enter into a commercial partnership with the show.”

Lemon said he will now stream the first episode of “The Don Lemon Show” on X, YouTube and other podcast platforms, and is preparing for a legal battle in case X refuses what is reportedly a multimillion-dollar payout. “Don has a deal with X and expects to be paid,” a Lemon spokesperson said Diversity. “If we have to go to court, we will.” However, two anonymous sources claims that Semaphore that Lemon may not have actually signed a contract with X. Musk has a history of withholding payments. A group of former Twitter executives, including the company’s former CEO Parag Agrawal, are suing Musk and X for millions of dollars in unpaid severance pay.

Lemon’s interview with Musk, which was taped Friday, covered a wide range of topics, including the presidential election and, it is reportedthe billionaire’s alleged use of ketamine, subject to a Wall Street Journal history published earlier this year. “Hardcore questions were asked,” Lemon said X user In a written statement, Lemon said he had a “good conversation” with Musk, but the billionaire apparently didn’t think so.

musk wrote that Lemon’s approach is “basically just ‘CNN but on social media,’ which isn’t working, as evidenced by the fact that CNN is dying,” in response to a user asking X for specific reasons for ending the partnership with Lemon. “And instead of it being the real Don Lemon,” Musk paused, “it was really simple [former CNN President] Jeff Zucker was speaking through Don, so lacking in authenticity.”

Lemon was fired from CNN nearly a year ago after making on-air remarks against former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley that many considered sexist and ageist, and reports showing that he engaged in misogynistic behavior during his 15-year tenure at CNN.

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