After the judiciary, the other medium having a big hold on society is journalism. Journalists play a vital role in addressing the current issues that need to be heard. There are three major platforms of media, print, electronic and digital. In either way, we can get the daily dose of news.
The more important is journalism, the more impactful it is made by journalists like Don Lemon, a popular face in the field of television journalism. Born in Louisiana, he had been an anchor for the news programs that aired weekly on regional TV stations during his initial days of journalism.
Lemon has worked as a news correspondent on the programming channels of NBC like NBC Nightly News and another one is Today. Later on, in 2006, he switched to another news channel CNN. Lemon rose to fame as a presenter in 2014 on CNN Tonight. He has been honored with a prestigious award including a regional Emmy.
Lemon had earlier experiences working with MSNBC and NBC networks. There is a show in his name called Don Lemon Tonight, with Lemon as a host in it. In broadcasting, he is among the most influential people (LGBTQ) from African-Americans worldwide. Let us get to know more about his life, career, earnings, etc in this article.
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Personal Details
| Full Name: | Donald Carlton Lemon |
| Stage Name: | Donald Lemon |
| Gender: | Male |
| Birthday: | 1 March 1966 |
| Place Of Origin: | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States |
| Age: | 55 years old |
| Height: | 1.83 m |
| Weight: | 79 kg |
| Nationality: | American |
| Sexual orientation: | Gay |
| Status: | Single |
| Spouse: | – |
| Profession: | American television journalist |
| Total Net Worth: | $12 million |
Early Life
Born in 1966 in a small town in Louisiana, Lemon did his schooling from a reputed school in Louisiana. After that, he went to college to study broadcast journalism. He went further for higher education at Louisiana State University. He once revealed about being the victim of a sexual assault at a tender age. He never shared the incident with anyone including his mother. But finally, when he reached 30, he spilled the beans about it to his mother.
Lemon belongs to mixed descent hailing from Africa and Europe. His ancestral roots can be known from different African countries including Congo and Nigeria. Don Lemon never shied away from speaking about his sexual orientation. He once made a revelation of him being gay, as he was found with another man named Tim Malone, a real estate agent.
Personal Life
Well, there is no lady love in the life of Don Lemon. But that does not indicate he is single. No, of course not. He is open about his sexual orientation and never shied away from accepting that he is homosexual. Lemon realized this at a younger age as mentioned in his memoir ‘Transparent’ that was released in 2011. He also expressed about the incident of sexual abuse during his childhood phase.
Maybe due to shame, he could not reveal this to anyone including his mother. But the truth spilled out when he turned 30. He admits that his disclosure of being gay might come as a shock for people, but he also said that he had always been open about it. His family, friends, and colleagues are also aware of it.
Lemon’s daringly speaking about his sexual orientation to the public got him into the category of some Afro-American homosexuals in broadcasting media. The noted American journalist cleared up about his dating a real estate agent Tim Malone. Two years ago, both Lemon and his gay partner Tim declared about their engagement.
Career
Lemon had a long experience in the media industry. He began his career as an anchor in Alabama. He worked at WBRC in weekend slots. Lemon also gained experience working in WCAU and KTVI. He had been into investigative reporting also. At NBC News he took up the job of a reporter and had been involved in various shows on the National Broadcasting Company.
He also worked as a correspondent for special programs like ‘Today’. At MSNBC, he rose to the anchor job. He carried the same profile on Weekend Today also. The job of anchor paved growth for Don Lemon’s media career. He further worked as co-anchor at WMAQ-TV and reporter in 2003.
Later on, he joined the Cable News Network. There was a time when some remarks made by him stirred controversy that led to the risk of losing his job at the latter news channel. And it did happen after following a petition that was signed to dismiss Lemon from his position as the anchor on CNN for his objectionable remark on law enforcement officers.
The American TV journalist had also been the host for special coverage for the New Year celebration on CNN. He has been hosting it for seven years. Besides being a successful reporter, correspondent, host, and anchor, Don Lemon had one more added skill of an author. He penned down a book which he named ‘Transparent’.
It was released long ago in the year 2011. In this book, Lemon disclosed his life, the sexual abuse he faced during his childhood, his sexual orientation, and his viewpoint upon a black community in America. This book is a must-read as it reflects the true aspects of anchor-journalist Don Lemon.
Accolades
Lemon’s sheer determination and success in the media field did not go unnoticed. He had his lion’s share of getting rewarded with prestigious honors for his work including the special coverage. Lemon is an Emmy award recipient for his report on the real estate market in Chicago. He became the recipient of other honorary awards for his special coverage on AIDS in Africa. Besides this, Lemon also did a commendable job in doing a story on the devastating tropical cyclone Hurricane Katrina.
Net Worth of Don Lemon
In 2021, $12 million is supposed to be the estimated net worth of American journalist Don Lemon. He earned a big fortune in being successful as a host, journalist, reporter, correspondent, and anchor. There are not many facts about his salary income. Still, it is understood that owing to his long experience in media, it must have increased over the years.
