*Don Lemon claims he’s not bitter about his firing from CNN but insiders say he plans to write a tell-all book blasting the cable network.
“Don feels like he’s been a gold solider at CNN and that he’s a scapegoat for the failure of the morning show he was forced to co-host with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins,” said a source, RadarOnline.com reports. “He’s looking for payback!”
The network owes Lemon about $25 million under a new contract he signed last September, according to insiders.
Last month, CNN initially tweeted that Lemon and the network “parted ways,” and wrote: “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.”
After many assumed Lemon’s exit was an amicable decision, the journalist turned to Twitter to express shock that he was fired.
“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” Lemon wrote. “After 17 years at CNN I would have though 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.”
CNN was quick to respond to Lemon’s statement.
“Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate,” CNN Communications tweeted on April 24. “He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”
Days after his firing, Lemon said he was not bitter about exiting CNN.
“It’s not in my nature,” Lemon told Page Six at the TIME 100 gala. “I’m not an angry person, I’m not mad.”
“I’m a very resilient person,” he added.
“I’ve had a very full life with lots of twists and turns. I come from strong, sturdy stock in Louisiana and I am lucky enough to be in a position where I don’t have to worry about, you know, not having a place to live or a home or whatever,” Lemon shared.
READ MORE: Don Lemon Says He’s Not ‘Angry’ After CNN Firing
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