‘The Don Lemon Show’ premieres amid feud with Musk over dropped X contract

KARAH RUCKER

THE FEUD BETWEEN FORMER CNN ANCHOR DON LEMON AND ELON MUSK CONTINUED THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS THE FIRST EPISODE OF THE DON LEMON SHOW DROPPED MONDAY..

YOU’LL REMEMBER –

LEMON INTERVIEWED ELON MUSK.

AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT – MUSK CANCELED AN “X PARTNERSHIP” WITH THE SHOW.

IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS –

DON LEMON REPORTEDLY HAD SEVERAL ASKS –

INCLUDING A FREE TESLA CYBERTRUCK, 5 MILLION DOLLARS UPFRONT ON TOP OF AN 8 MILLION DOLLAR SALARY.

AN EQUITY STAKE IN X.

AND THE RIGHT TO APPROVE ANY CHANGES IN X POLICY AS IT RELATES TO NEWS CONTENT.

THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK POST’S SOURCES AND REVIEW OF DOCUMENTS.

HOWEVER A SPOKESPERSON FOR LEMON SAYS NONE OF IT’S TRUE.

THE HE SAID SHE SAID OVER THE SPOILED PARTNERSHIP CONTINUED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

WHILE MUSK AND X ARGUE THE CANCELED DEAL WAS JUST BUSINESS –

DON LEMON SAYS THE MOVE GOES AGAINST FREE SPEECH ON THE PLATFORM.

IN A SLEW OF POSTS AND BACK-AND-FORTHS BETWEEN THE TWO –

DON LEMON SAID “YOU CANCELED MY CONTRACT AFTER OUR INTERVIEW.

I DON’T THINK YOU BELIEVE IN FREE SPEECH.”

MUSK POSTED “EVEN THOUGH I THINK DON LEMON IS A POMPOUS FOOL WHO SPOUTS NONSENSE, HE IS STILL FREE TO UPLOAD HIS SHOW TO X AND WILL RECEIVE ADVERTISING REVENUE.”

IN ANOTHER POST –

LEMON SAYS “I CHALLENGE YOU ELON MUSK TO ACTUALLY WATCH IT AND THEN TELL ME IT ISN’T EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID YOU WANT ON YOUR PLATFORM.”

MUSK POSTED “DON “VERUCA SALT” A REFERENCE TO A SPOILED CHARACTER FROM CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.

LEMON WROTE “EVERY TIME ELON MUSK TWEETS, A SUBSCRIBER GETS ITS WINGS” –  A REFERENCE TO THE FILM “IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE AND  USERS LEAVING X.

IN THE INTERVIEW, WHICH IS OUT NOW,THE TWO DISCUSS CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES –

EVERYTHING FROM HATE SPEECH AND WHO MUSK PLANS TO VOTE FOR AND HIS USE OF KETAMINE.

WHILE THERE’S NO BUSINESS CONTRACT –

THE DON LEMON SHOW IS STILL POSTED ON X AND OTHER PLATFORMS.

BOTH X AND DON LEMON’S SPOKESPERSON SAY THERE WAS NO SIGNED CONTRACT BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.

BUT A SPOKESPERSON FOR LEMON TOLD CNN “CONTRACTS DON’T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE SIGNED TO BE LEGALLY BINDING” –

AND LEMON EXPECTS TO BE COMPENSATED – EVEN IF THEY HAVE TO GO TO COURT.