CNN‘s Don Lemon and Fox News‘ Tucker Carlson may have more in common that meets the eye and are rumored to be texting one another in the wake of both being fired from their high profile network gigs.
Although the two hosts had been longtime adversaries, with Carlson, 53, frequently mocking and belittling 57-year-old Lemon on his show, and Lemon accusing Carlson of spreading hateful lies to Fox’s audience, the pair now find themselves in similar positions.
Former CNN media correspondent Brian Stelter tells Vanity Fair the two men, despite not being friends, are in contact with one another.
‘They have been texting back and forth in the past few days, according to two sources with knowledge of the relationship,’ he revealed.
Both men have even retained the same entertainment lawyer, Bryan Freedman, to try and secure lucrative exits from their networks.
The first image of Carlson after his sacking showed him riding through Boca Grande in a golf cart
Lemon, meanwhile, could be seen walking the red carpet at the Time100 Gala in New York
Los Angeles-based Freedman, who co-founded Freedman & Taitelman LLP, has represented media personalities in multimillion-dollar fights, including Chris Cuomo and Megyn Kelly.
Cuomo hired Freedman after he was fired by CNN over revelations that he provided consulting services to help his brother, then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, fight sexual harassment allegations.
Freedman is sometimes described by US media as a ‘pit bull’. He helped Megyn Kelly get $30 million from NBC after they fired her in 2019 – reaching an agreement to pay her entire contract despite early termination.
He is a highly aggressive legal advocate with a star-studded client list with A-list celebrities ranging from actors Robert Downey Jr, Vin Diesel and Kate Beckinsale, to musicians Mariah Carey and Alanis Morissette all turning to him in the past.
It is not yet clear what legal approach Freedman might take for Lemon and Carlson.
On Wednesday, Carlson lashed out at ‘liars trying to silence’ honest people, although he did not specifically address his departure or speak about his future plans.
Lemon, for his part, has said he was ‘stunned’ at his sudden exit which he said came without the option to speak with bosses – a charge CNN has denied.
Freedman has reportedly been hired by both Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson who were both fired on Monday
Don Lemon, right, is pictured with his fiancé, Tim Malone, near his Hudson Yards apartment
Although Lemon and Carlson have never met and lead very different lives, there may now be a sense of kinship between following their shared experience of being fired from their respective networks within 45 minutes of one another on Monday.
Both were informed of their sacking by phone, and both stories broke almost immediately.
However, while Fox reportedly wanted to issue a joint statement with Carlson, he rejected the idea while Lemon similarly rebuffed CNN’s attempt to coordinate the release of his firing statement.
‘It is clear that there are some larger issues at play,’ Lemon said in his statement, while Carlson recorded a video message on Twitter for his fans in which he said ‘See you soon’, not mentioning his departure from Fox.
‘The two men have never met, and they likely didn’t have much to discuss until recently. They live very different lives: Carlson, with his wife, Susan, of nearly 32 years, spends time in rural Maine and on the Gulf Coast of Florida, eschewing the Manhattan and Hamptons social scene that Lemon and his fiancé, Tim Malone, inhabit. The first image of Carlson after his sacking showed him riding through Boca Grande in a golf cart, while Lemon walked the red carpet at the Time100 Gala.’
Despite Carlson’s contract reportedly being worth $20 million a year, he may be willing to accept less in exchange for the freedom to appear on other networks sooner that Fox might insist.
Tucker Carlson is seen with his wife, Susan, of nearly 32 years. The pair spends time in rural Maine and on the Gulf Coast of Florida
Lemon and his fiancé Tim Malone love the Manhattan and Hamptons social scene
Lemon could also receive a similar figure given that his nearly $7 million-a-year contract stretched through 2026. He has been told he will be paid through the remainder of his contract.
The negotiations for Carlson and Lemon’s complete exit from their networks could take weeks or even months to complete, with the two sides haggling over non-disparagement clauses and other details.
However, both hosts are likely to receive compensation for the remainder of their contracts with both men receiving so much money they will never have to work again.
Stelter writes in Vanity Fair that believes that both men have not ‘gone nuclear’ because they were give assurances they would receive the multi-million dollar payouts that they are entitled to.
‘I believe that’s because CNN immediately assured Lemon that he would be paid the rest of his contract, and Fox signaled the same to Carlson,’ he writes.
As for their future plans, Stelter believes Carlson has ambitions far beyond Fox and may look to consider politics himself, while Hollywood may beckon for Lemon.
But Carlson was busy building a far-right media empire within Fox; his ambitions go far beyond a debate show.
Lemon’s talk show on CNN+ earlier this year is said to have generated buzz but could be an avenue he might be willing to explore in the future – perhaps the pair might consider teaming up in ‘Crossfire’ type manner? Stranger things have happened when it comes to cable news.
