TV Hosts DB Logo

Donald Carlton Lemon

Don Lemon is an American journalist and author who joined CNN in 2006 and anchored Don Lemon Tonight from 2014 to 2022. Before CNN, he worked at local stations in Alabama, Missouri, Illinois, and Pennsylvania and reported for NBC News in New York. CNN fired him in April 2023, and he now hosts the independent The Don Lemon Show on YouTube.

Overview

Donald Carlton Lemon 's Profile

Don Lemon is an American journalist, political commentator, and one of the most prominent openly gay TV presenters. He attended Louisiana State University and later graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in broadcast journalism. His early career included local anchor and investigative reporter roles in Birmingham, St. Louis, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

Lemon later joined NBC News in New York, reporting for Today and NBC Nightly News and anchoring Weekend Today. In 2003, he became a reporter and co-anchor at WMAQ in Chicago. He joined CNN as a correspondent in September 2006 and began piloting primetime shows in 2014. He soon became the permanent host of CNN Tonight, retitled Don Lemon Tonight in 2021.

In 2022, Lemon co-anchored the new morning show CNN This Morning with Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow. CNN fired him in April 2023, following which he announced the launch of The Don Lemon Show for X in January 2024. After X canceled the partnership, he continued the show independently on YouTube. 

Latest News

Quick Facts

  • Full Name: Donald Carlton Lemon
  • Gender: Male
  • Date of Birth: 1966-03-01
  • Nationality: American
  • Ethnicity: African American, Black
  • Sexual Orientation: Gay
  • Marital Status: Married
  • Career Start: 1996
  • Current Network:
  • Years Active
  • Estimated Salary: $4 million — $7 million

12
TV Shows

8
Current Hosts

20
Years Active

50
Awards Won

TV Shows​

A list of television shows hosted by this host, including current programs and previous presenting roles.

CNN Newsroom

Networks

A list of Networks that this host has worked for.

Personal Life

Family, relationships and background

  • Marriage Tim Malone from 2024 to (New York real estate agent. They met in 2016, and Lemon announced their engagement in 2019.)

    Education

    Educational background and qualifications

    • Baker High School (Baker, Louisiana)
    • Attended Louisiana State University
    • Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism from Brooklyn College (1996)

    Net Worth & Income

    Income sources, net worth, and properties.

    • Income earned from his role as a CNN anchor from 2006 to 2023, estimated at 4–7 million a year at its peak.
    • Reportedly received $24.5 million as settlement of his remaining CNN contract. CNN called the report incorrect, so it is not counted as confirmed.
    • Royalties from his published books: Transparent (2011) and This Is the Fire (2021).
    • Income from the independent The Don Lemon Show, which had about 1.4 million YouTube subscribers as of September 2026.

    Awards

    Awards & recognition

    • Edward R. Murrow Award — Coverage of the capture of the D.C. snipers (2002)
    • Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award — Business feature, "Life on Craigslist" (2006)
    • Chicago/Midwest Emmy Award — Reporting on HIV/AIDS in Africa, "Journey to Africa" (2006)