Don Lemon’s Friday morning apology to CNN colleagues was blasted as “pathetic” by a well-placed CNN insider who called the morning show host a “f——g a–hole.”
Lemon attempted the mea culpa during the network’s morning editorial call following comments he made Thursday that were widely condemned as sexist. He insisted he “did not mean to offend anyone” when he claimed Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley was past her “prime” as a woman.
“Most pathetic attempt at an apology I have ever heard in my life,” a CNN insider told Fox News Digital. “It did not go over well.”
The insider added that Lemon is a “f——g a–hole” for claiming that he must not be sexist simply because he has women in his life and compared it to a White person trying to downplay racists comments by insisting they have Black friends.
Women inside have since reached out to women’s groups, hoping they will take a stand against Lemon and his history of misogynistic comments.
“The younger generation of women doesn’t tolerate this,” the insider said.
Fox News Digital previously confirmed both Lemon and CNN CEO Chris Licht addressed staffers following widespread outrage over his comments. Licht called Lemon’s comments “upsetting, unacceptable and unfair” to his morning show co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, calling it a “huge distraction.”
Licht stressed it was “important to foster a culture of accountability at CNN” before handing it over to Lemon for the apology that didn’t go over particularly well inside the company.
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