Former CNN anchor Don Lemon just got an earful on the streets of Manhattan in a clash that’s as raw as it gets.
New York Post reported that in a nutshell, Lemon, once a prominent face on CNN, found himself in a fiery, expletive-filled showdown with a passerby while filming a segment for his podcast, and the whole mess was caught on tape for the world to see.
This isn’t Lemon’s first brush with controversy, having been let go from CNN in April 2023 after a string of missteps, including comments about women being past their prime and rumored tensions with colleagues.
Now 59, Lemon was out doing what he thought would be a simple man-on-the-street bit for his podcast when he approached a random New Yorker.
Big mistake—the passerby recognized him instantly and didn’t hold back, unleashing a torrent of insults right off the bat.
The video, uploaded to Lemon’s own YouTube channel, shows the exchange spiraling fast as the man calls him a “f–king moron” with zero hesitation.
“You’re a f–king moron, dude,” the passerby snaps, setting the tone for a conversation that never had a chance at civility.
Let’s be real—name-calling like that isn’t exactly a high-road move, though one wonders if Lemon’s past on-air provocations invited this kind of heat.
Lemon fires back with, “Thank you. So are you,” proving he’s not above trading barbs, even if it’s a far cry from the polished anchor persona of yesteryear.
The argument wasn’t just personal; the heckler aimed at CNN and MSNBC, accusing them of being “full of s–t” and dodging the truth about conflicts like Gaza.
“They would never say it’s genocide. They were protecting Israel,” the man rants, clearly fed up with what he sees as media spin.
While frustration with mainstream outlets is understandable in an era of distrust, shouting it out on a sidewalk with no facts to back it up feels more like venting than debating.
Lemon tries to pivot, asking where the man’s from and if he’s a New Yorker, but gets nothing but more venom in return.
He even points out the contradiction in the heckler’s claim of not watching him while citing specific clips, saying, “You must watch me.”
Yet, the loop of accusations just keeps spinning, with both men digging in, onlookers whispering the guy might be drunk, and Lemon refusing to walk away until the passerby finally does.
After the dust settles, Lemon looks into the camera and admits the spat was “beneath” him, yet oddly calls it “fun.”
That’s a head-scratcher—finding amusement in a public shouting match doesn’t exactly scream maturity, especially for someone who once held a prime-time slot.
Still, in a culture where outrage often trumps reason, maybe Lemon’s just leaning into the chaos, though one hopes for better from someone with his platform.
