9 Facts About The Former CNN Anchor
On August 11, 2019, Don Lemon became the target of a lawsuit. Per Deadline, a man named Dustin Hice alleged that, the year prior, he had been sexually harassed by Lemon in a bar in Sag Harbor, New York. He reportedly attempted to extract $1.5 million from the anchor to avoid the suit, and before erasing his social media presence posted quotes of then-president Donald Trump criticizing Lemon's employer, CNN.
The network was quick to deny the incident, with Lemon himself offering no immediate comment. His lawyer, Caroline Polisi, characterized the suit as a malicious cash grab with no basis in fact. While the lawsuit was seized upon by some critics of Lemon, notably Trump supporters who gathered outside the courthouse, Hice's case was complicated by his own actions. In March 2022, he was fined $77,000, to be paid to Lemon, after a judge determined that Hice had attempted to bribe witnesses and interfere with potential evidence. By that May, the suit was finished; Hice dropped it and issued a statement that he had misremembered the night in question.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunB9kXBocmhkZLGwuoylnKannmKzoq%2FTrGSamp%2BqwW6yzquknqpdmLuvecCnmqGnomQ%3D