Don Lemon and 'CNN This Morning' staff seemingly courteous after alleged rant at co-host Kaitlan Collins exposed
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Don Lemon and his 'CNN This Morning' co-hosts did not speak of any on-set dispute when they all appeared together on Monday for the first time since the news of Lemon's alleged December tantrum last week came to light. The two co-hosts haven't frequently worked together in the studio since Lemon, 56, allegedly lost his temper with Kaitlan Collins, 30, on December 8, 2022.
After the news of the December incident leaked on Thursday, February 2, people noticed Lemon was off the air the next day. According to a CNN representative, Lemon revealed earlier this week that he was flying to Los Angeles to attend Clive Davis' star-studded Grammys gala, reports New York Post.
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How did the show go?
Don Lemon returned to the program on Monday, Feb 6 wearing a nearly identical black suit to the music executive's party on Saturday, but with a dark green tie instead of a black bowtie. The host began the program by reporting on the tragic earthquake in Turkey before handing it off to Kaitlan Collins, who covered the story of the Chinese spy balloon. When actor Kal Penn joined the three on the set and co-host Poppy Harlow began to interview him, the two anchors seemed cautious not to interfere with each other's reporting and did not engage much. Penn highlighted his new climate change-focused series, 'Getting Warmer,' in which he also serves as a former Obama administration White House aide.
'Can't wait for our guest appearance'
Harlow mentioned Penn's upcoming March 13 hosting gig of 'The Daily Show,' and Lemon remarked, "Can't wait for our guest appearance on the program!" before the segment ended. Harlow jokingly asked Lemon and Collins, who were both grinning, "Are you really trying to be on 'The Daily Show' right now? The co-hosts engaged in an intense debate with entertainment journalist Segun Oduolowu in a later conversation about the Grammys and whether Beyoncé was overlooked for 'Album of the Year.'
According to sources, Lemon, who recently had his own now-defunct primetime program, has struggled to share the limelight with Collins and Harlow. "Don has an intractable ego," a source close to both CNN boss Chris Licht and Lemon stated. "My understanding is he wants the show to be about him. I don’t know how you fix that. It’s a very difficult situation."