Don Lemon sues Elon Musk and X over terminated talkshow deal

The former CNN anchor Don Lemon has sued Elon Musk and X over a cancelled deal with the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

His filing in California superior court in San Francisco includes claims of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, misappropriation of Lemon’s name and likeness and breach of express contract.

Musk abruptly terminated a planned partnership with Lemon in March, hours after Lemon filmed an interview with him. Shortly after the interview concluded, Musk texted Leon, “contract terminated”, according to Lemon.

Carney Shegerian, an attorney for Lemon, said: “This case is straightforward. X executives used Don to prop up their advertising sales pitch, then canceled their partnership and dragged Don’s name through the mud.

“You don’t have to be a genius to see the fraud, negligence and reputational damage here. Don is an accomplished and hard-hitting journalist who’s committed to defending his good name and holding X’s executives accountable. We look forward to our day in court.”

When the Guardian contacted X for comment, its press inbox generated the automatic response: “Busy now, please check back later.”