Lemon alleges that Owner X unfairly terminated his contract, refused to pay him, and used his name to attract advertisers.
Don Lemon arrives at the Time Magazine gala celebrating the list of the 100 most influential people in the world in New York City, U.S. April 26, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
The lawsuit was filed in the California Supreme Court in San Francisco.
X abruptly ended its planned partnership with Lemon in March, hours after Lemon filmed an interview with Elon Musk. According to Lemon, Musk texted Lemon shortly after the interview ended that “the deal is over.”
Musk later said on the platform that Lemon was still welcome to build an audience on X.
“The case is simple,” said Carney Shegerian, Lemon’s attorney. “X executives used Lemon to boost their advertising sales, then canceled the partnership and dragged Don’s name through the mud.”
“You don’t have to be a genius to see the fraud, negligence, and reputational damage here. Lemon is a tough, accomplished journalist who is committed to defending his reputation and holding the executives of X accountable. We look forward to our day in court,” the attorney added.
Lemon, a popular prime-time personality, was fired from CNN last April after 17 years on the job.
X, formerly Twitter, has struggled to retain advertisers amid a series of controversies since billionaire Elon Musk bought the company in 2022.
The platform signed deals with Lemon, former US congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and sportscaster Jim Rome last January, aiming to grow video content on the site and bring advertisers back to the platform.
The lawsuit alleges that X agreed to pay Lemon at least $1.5 million with additional payments as incentives and a share of advertising revenue.
Hong Hanh (according to CNA, Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/cuu-phat-thanh-vien-cua-cnn-kien-elon-musk-ve-viec-huy-bo-thoa-thuan-tren-x-post305930.html
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