Lemon and Carlson have each reportedly hired Los Angeles-based attorney Bryan Freedman
Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson, two days after their respective exits from CNN and Fox News, have hired the same attorney who represented Chris Cuomo and Megyn Kelly in their own high-profile exits.
The Washington Post reports that Lemon, 57, and Carlson, 53, have each hired Los Angeles-based attorney Bryan Freedman, which the outlet describes as “a combative litigator who specializes in enforcing contracts for ousted media personalities.”
Freedman represented Cuomo after his highly public ousting from CNN. After the network suspended Cuomo for his involvement in defending his brother, disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo amid multiple sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, it ultimately fired him. Cuomo went on to seek a $125 million arbitration award as part of his claim that he was wrongly terminated.
Freedman also represented Kelly in her aggressive legal fight with NBC. Kelly left the network while halfway through a three-year, $69 million contract, after her show was cancelled amid controversy over remarks she made about wearing blackface as part of Halloween costumes.
Sources have since told outlets including CNN that NBC ultimately agreed to pay Kelly the full remainder of her contract even as she did not complete the three-year run.
On Monday, news broke that both Lemon and Carlson had exited their networks.
First came the news from Fox that Carlson had left its network.
In a statement, the network said “FOX News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways. We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.”
The statement added that Carlson’s last program was Friday. Beginning Monday evening, the network will air Fox News Tonight as an interim show helmed by rotating FOX News personalities until a new host is determined.
Less than an hour later, Lemon announced in a tweet that he had been fired by CNN.
“I was informed this morning by my agent I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” Lemon wrote.
Lemon continued: “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play.”
Within the hour, CNN’s public relations team had released a counter statement accusing Lemon of misrepresenting the way his exit was handled internally.
“Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate,” CNN Communications tweeted. “He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”
Prior to pushing back on Lemon’s tweet, CNN had released a much more cordial statement, which read: “CNN and Don have parted ways. Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”
