Don Lemon Claims DEI Has ‘Gone Too Far’ And Has ‘Become A Religion’

Don Lemon recently offered a shocking criticism of DEI in the media. The former CNN anchor claimed there’s a need to “take a look at” DEI and “do some rejiggering.”

This comes after Lemon made headlines last month following his botched X deal after taping a one-on-one interview with Elon Musk.

Lemon decried the direction in which the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) crowd is heading, claiming that supporters of the concept may be going too far.

He made the comments during an interview on “Real Time” with Bill Maher, likening the idea to a “religion.”

“There are some great things about DEI, but it’s not all roses, and we need to take a look at it and do some rejiggering. It’s gone too far. It’s become a religion, and if you don’t abide by the religion, you get kicked out of the church,” Lemon said on the show, per the New York Post.

58-year-old Lemon also weighed in on claims that NPR has become too “woke” after one of its top editors, Uri Berliner, resigned following a five-day suspension without pay by the media organization.

Lemon said, “I think a lot of media companies need to do some self-examination about what’s happening inside the company.”

“I am going to get a lot of s–t from liberals for saying what I said,” he added. “I like DEI, but when it becomes a religion, it can be used as a cudgel.”

Last month, Lemon had prepared to flag off his “The Don Lemon Show” on both X and YouTube after striking a deal with owner Elon Musk.

However, his plans were shortlived as Musk seemingly pulled the plug on the deal after they recorded an interview days before it went live on the platform.

Announcing the news on X (formerly Twitter), Lemon noted that Musk had publicly encouraged him to join the platform with a news show, pledging his “full support” and also saying that his “digital town square is for all.”

Implying that the interview episode, which featured a chat with the Tesla boss, wasn’t the problem, Lemon noted that “there were no restrictions” in the interview and that they “had a good conversation,” as his questions were “respectful and wide-ranging.”

He proceeded to subtly shade Musk’s “commitment to a global town square,” alleging that the tech billionaires’ quest to create a space where “all questions can be asked and all ideas can be shared” seemed not to include questions from him.

“While Elon goes back on his word, I will be doubling down, I will be doubling down on my commitment to free speech, and I cannot wait to get started,” the former CNN anchor concluded.

According to the DailyMail, a source with inside knowledge about the deal claimed that Lemon wanted censorship on the platform and made some outlandish demands from the company.

The source said, “If you look through Don’s asks, they fluctuate between the luxurious to the far-out to censorship. Luxurious is you’re asking for a splashy new car [the Tesla Cybertruck], and you’re asking for a $5 million up-front payment.”

“Far-out is one of his demands was to be the first podcast in space,” the source added.

Lemon also allegedly asked that X commit to a $10 million annual marketing budget and cover the cost of his studio build-out.

Lemon has seemingly left the whole saga behind him as the veteran news anchor tied the knot with his partner, Tim Malone, earlier this month.

The couple exchanged their vows in front of about 140 guests at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in midtown Manhattan.

Celebrities who attended the wedding included former “Today” show host Matt Lauer, “View” co-hosts Sunny Hostin, Joy Behar, and Ana Navarro, actor Alec Baldwin, record producer Clive Davis, “Real Housewives of New York City” alum Luann de Lesseps, and talk show host, Tamron Hall.

Lemon and Malone both wore different shades of velvet tuxedos by Suit Supply. The journalist chose a green color, while his husband wore navy.

Lemon recently told E! News that he and his husband have begun discussions regarding starting a family together now that they are officially married.

“We are family planning, I can’t tell you when,” Lemon told the news outlet at the TIME100 Gala. “We already have three fur babies and I’ve only been married for three weeks. But yes, we are planning something, and we’ll let you know when.”

He then joked that his 40-year-old husband is “going to have to do it, though, because his body will bounce back.”