Anderson Cooper wants to stay away from 'ticking time bomb' Don Lemon after sexist remarks

'He wants nothing to do with Don anymore,' said a source close to Anderson Cooper
UPDATED MAR 16, 2023
Don Lemon's close pal Anderson Cooper has decided to stay away from him amid spate of CNN controversies (Dominik Bindl/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Don Lemon's close pal Anderson Cooper has decided to stay away from him amid spate of CNN controversies (Dominik Bindl/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: In addition to Don Lemon's career hanging by a thread, it appears that his close friend Anderson Cooper has also decided to stay away from him. This comes after the 57-year-old controversial TV host made sexist comments about women not being in their "prime" after hitting a certain age.

"Anderson wants nothing to do with Don anymore. People inside CNN run when they see Don coming down the hallway," the source dished to RadarOnline. "No one wants to end up on the wrong side when Don messes up again — and he will! He's a ticking time bomb." The CNN This Morning anchor has caught himself in a couple of controversies in the past months that resulted in his controversial move from primetime to daytime television. Chris Licht reportedly forced Lemon to leave his own show, only for it to be carried on by two less experienced anchors Kaitlan Collins, 30, and Poppy Harlow, 40.

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Don Lemon and his controversies

Moreover, Lemon recently received a ton of backlash after he age-shamed American politician Nikki Haley, 51, by claiming women are in their prime in their 20s, 30s, and maybe 40s. The statement left female co-host Poppy Harlow storming off the stage when they went on a break. However, this is not all, as Lemon was caught in another blunder concerning his co-host Collins. The host reportedly "screamed" at Collins after she interrupted him during their December 8 broadcast. The heated moment was shared off-air which left many staff members "shaken" after witnessing it.

Following that incident, Collins opted to minimize his work with Lemon as much as possible. After the blowup reached the CNN newsletter, Lemon reportedly had a second outburst. "Don lost his mind internally and went ballistic at staffers after the CNN newsletter highlighted a story about him screaming," an insider told the outlet. However, it was Lemon's sexist comment towards women that led to Licht forcing the TV journalist to undergo "formal training." He was back on air shortly after. 

'He hates his job'

According to a source, Lemon's job is causing strain in his relationship with fiance Tim Malone. The source further revealed that Lemon recognizes the need to make more effort to be affectionate and enjoyable to be around, but he is struggling with this due to his dissatisfaction with his job. It was also mentioned that Lemon is taking out his frustration on his colleagues and Malone.

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