Elon Musk and X Request Dismissal of Don Lemon’s Lawsuit Over Canceled Partnership, According to Reuters

By Jonathan Stempel

Elon Musk and the social media platform X have requested a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by former CNN anchor Don Lemon. Lemon alleges he was defrauded after Musk canceled their partnership on the platform following a controversial interview.

In a filing submitted to the federal court in San Francisco, Musk argued that he did not act improperly when he allegedly indicated to Lemon that there was "no need" for a formal contract. He claimed that he and X would provide Lemon with "full authority and control" over his work, regardless of their differing opinions.

Musk contended that it was unreasonable for Lemon to depend on a vague assertion that a written agreement was unnecessary for such a significant partnership.

The billionaire also attributed the partnership’s collapse in March to Lemon, asserting that he initially had confidence in its potential until Lemon "soured the relationship" with a "demanding and inappropriate interview" about Musk’s views on content moderation, hate speech, and his drug use.

As of Tuesday, Lemon’s legal team had not responded to requests for comment regarding this matter.

X also requested the dismissal of the lawsuit, arguing that the failure of a prominent business arrangement may lead to disappointed feelings, but does not provide Lemon a legal basis for success.

In his lawsuit, Lemon is seeking at least $1.5 million, along with a share of advertising revenue for the first year, and possibly millions more for attracting followers and advertisers to the platform.

Since Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of the platform in 2022, many advertisers have departed due to concerns about hate speech and misinformation.

Additionally, Musk claimed that the lawsuit should not be filed in California, as he resides in Texas and Lemon is based in New York. He suggested that the case could be relocated to Texas.

Lemon was a prominent figure at CNN for 17 years before being let go in April 2023, shortly after making comments deemed sexist about women and the then-Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley; he later issued an apology.

The case is currently listed as Lemon v. Musk et al in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.