Don Lemon Sues Elon Musk and X Over Content Deal Gone Sour

Don Lemon has sued Elon Musk, alleging that the X owner refused to pay him after a content deal between the two blew up following a contentious interview, according to legal documents.

Attorneys for the former CNN journalist accused the tech mogul and social media company of fraud, misappropriation of Lemon’s name and likeness, and breach of contract. The lawsuit was filed on Aug. 1 in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco.

The lawsuit was first reported Thursday by the New York Times .

Lemon entered into a content deal with X in January 2024, which was intended for him to provide exclusive content for the platform. According to the lawsuit, Musk agreed on a $1.5 million annual payment for Lemon’s content, as well as a share of advertising revenue from his videos and cash incentives for increased following.

While Lemon did not sign a physical contract inking the deal, he and Musk entered into a verbal agreement, with X promoting the deal across their accounts. The lawsuit is seeking unspecified monetary damages.

The content agreement blew up after Musk appeared on Lemon’s show as his first interview guest . The conversation turned sour as Lemon breached subjects like Musk’s reported drug use and controversial political beliefs.

Shortly after the interview was taped, Musk canceled the partnership, messaging Lemon’s agent “contract canceled.”

“This case is straightforward,” Lemon’s attorney Carney Shegerian said in a statement. “X executives used Don to prop up their advertising sales pitch, then canceled their 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,” Shegerian continued. “Don is an accomplished and hard-hitting journalist who’s committed to defending his good name and holding X’s executives accountable. We look forward to our day in court.”

The post Don Lemon Sues Elon Musk and X Over Content Deal Gone Sour appeared first on TheWrap .