Great reviews and women love him
Don Lemon appeared on the “Hollywood Raw Podcast” with presenters Dax Holt and Adam Glyn (via Entertainment weekly) and shared his belief that “audiences miss Matt Lauer, who was co-anchor of NBC’s “Today” from 1997 to 2017. Lauer was fired in 2017 after an NBC employee accused him of sexual assault. Subsequently, several more women came forward with sexual misconduct claims against him. Although Lauer denied the sexual abuse allegations, he admitted in a statement at the time that “there is enough truth in these stories to embarrass and shame me.”
When asked on the podcast if Lauer could make a comeback in the news industry, Lemon replied, “I think if he can go digital again, he can chart his own course.”
“I didn’t meet Matt until after the whole situation happened because we live in the same town and have mutual friends,” Lemon said. “Every time I see Matt out and about – or you know, when we go out to dinner, my husband and I go out to dinner with him and his fiancée – and people love him. Women love him! They’re like, ‘Man, oh my God, can I get a picture? I love you. I miss you on television.’ I think the audience loves him. The public misses him, but it is only the people within the company who are afraid.”
Lemon speculated that “maybe in this whole Trump era” where the “cancellations are over,” there is a chance for Lauer to return, though he added: “I think it’s more the people who are inside the company that is concerned about you. You know, what happened with Matt. I’ll put it this way. I think the general public would accept Matt back. And I think people would watch it and I think the ratings would be great.
“I don’t know anything about what happened, I don’t know anything about that,” Lemon concluded, referring to the allegations against Lauer. “Women can feel the way they feel and I understand that, but that’s their business. I know that when I’m out with him, everyone loves Matt, and everyone flocks to Matt and everyone wants a picture and everyone says, ‘I miss you and we want to see you on TV again.’ I hear it every time.”
As for Lemon, the former CNN anchor was subsequently fired from the network in 2023 Variety published a report on his alleged sexist behavior towards female colleagues over the years. Lemon attempted to make his own comeback on a digital platform with ‘The Don Lemon Show’ on X, but it was abruptly canceled by Elon Musk. Lemon is currently suing Musk for fraud, breach of contract and more.
Watch Lemon’s full interview on the “Hollywood Raw Podcast” in the video below.
