Rick Ross has reached out to Don Lemon to offer him a job at Wingstop after the news anchor was sacked from CNN.
On Monday (April 24), the network abruptly announced on social media that after 17 years at the network, the 57-year-old has been fired.
“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,” CNN wrote in a tweet.
However, Lemon seemingly indicated in a post shared that same day that he was blindsided by his layoff and claimed there must have been “larger issues at play”.
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) April 24, 2023
“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” he penned on Twitter. “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.”
“With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best,” he added.
It seems like the 47-year-old ‘Aston Martin Music’ rapper decided to weigh in on Lemon’s firing by tagging the journalist in an Instagram story and saying that there were positions open at his Wingstop locations.
“Just found out Don Lemon was terminated from CNN. Damn, dawg,” the rapper – who reportedly owns over two dozen Wingstop restaurants across the United States – said. “But guess what? The brother’s got your back.”
“We hiring at Wingstop. And for some reason, I believe you know what you doing with the lemon pepper wings, so man, just send over your résumé. I’mma make sure I get you in front of the right grill, brother. Stay solid, brother,” he added.
And in a second video, Ross – whose full name is William Leonard Roberts II – pitched a business proposition to the news anchor which involved his energy-drink company, Rapstar.
“Just came up with a wonderful idea – well, really, Don, you helped me come up with this,” he quipped. “I need to hit the team over at Rapstar Energy Drink and let ’em know we should introduce the Don Lemon flavor. What y’all think? Aye, Don, we got you brother!”
Lemon’s dismissal from CNN comes after a series of controversies, including when he said in February that Nikki Haley – the 51-year-old former governor of South Carolina and 2024 presidential candidate – was no longer “in her prime”.
The journalist was also the subject of an incriminating report published by Variety that condemned him for a history of “diva-like” and sexist conduct towards women.
He denied the magazine’s claims in a statement, saying: “The story, which is riddled with patently false anecdotes and no concrete evidence, is entirely based on unsourced, unsubstantiated, 15-year-old anonymous gossip. It’s amazing and disappointing that Variety would be so reckless.”
