“CNN Tonight” anchor Don Lemon announced Friday that “this will be the last night” of the show he’s hosted since 2014 — only to clarify in a later Twitter video that he was not leaving the network.
Lemon shocked viewers by ending his news show Friday with a closing on-air segment in which he suddenly revealed the end of his program on the network.
“It’s been really, really great. This is the last night that will be ‘CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.’” he said. “So, I appreciate all the years of ‘CNN Tonight with Don Lemon,’ but changes are coming, and I will fill you in.”
Lemon then segued into a promo for a CNN documentary about Marvin Gaye’s 1971 album, “What’s Going On.”
Less than 15 minutes after the show went off the air, however, Lemon posted a 24-second video on Twitter clarifying his announcement.
“So I got back down to my office after the show — everybody calm down,” he said. “I didn’t say I was leaving CNN. I just said it was the end of an era for ‘CNN Tonight with Don Lemon’.
“I am not leaving CNN,” Lemon added, “so you will have to tune in Monday at 10 o’clock to see. That’s it. So relax, I’m not leaving.” After breaking out in laughter, Lemon repeated, “I’m not leaving.”
CNN reps did not immediately return requests for comment.
