CNN's Don Lemon accused of assault in sexually charged encounter at New York bar
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
CNN primetime host Don Lemon was accused of a bizarre, sexually charged assault of a bartender in New York's tony Hamptons last year in a civil suit filed earlier this week.
Dustin Hice, of Florida, stated in the lawsuit that he was living in the Hamptons and working at The Old Stove Pub in Sagaponack during the summer of 2018. On July 15, after closing, Hice claimed he left with the owner and co-workers to party at another bar, Murf's Backstreet Tavern, in Sag Harbor, where they saw Lemon. Recognizing the newsman, Hice offered to buy him a vodka drink called a "lemon drop," according to the suit. Lemon declined the offer, Hice claimed, but later approached him inside the establishment.
"[Lemon] put his hand down the front of his own shorts, and vigorously rubbed his genitalia, removed his hand and shoved his index and middle fingers into Plaintiff's mustache and under Plaintiff's nose," according to the lawsuit, filed Aug. 11 in Suffolk County Court, and first reported by Mediaite.
Lemon allegedly asked a crude question about Hice's sexual preference, leaving him "shocked and humiliated," according to the suit.
CNN denied Hice's account and said Hice seemed to bear animosity toward the cable news network.
"The plaintiff in this lawsuit has previously displayed a pattern of contempt for CNN on his social media accounts," a CNN spokesperson told Fox News in a statement.
"This claim follows his unsuccessful threats and demands for an exorbitant amount of money from Don Lemon.
"Don categorically denies these claims and this matter does not merit any further comment at this time."
In the suit, Hice also said Lemon's off-screen demeanor was in stark contrast to the "Me Too" advocate who he often saw on TV.
"When the cameras are turned off, however, Mr. Lemon’s actions are in stark and disturbing contrast to the public persona he attempts to convey," the suit reads.
Hice denied going after CNN on social media, telling the New York Post: "I have never ever ranted about anyone, especially a news station. … I am a private, religious man."
A predator in our midst.
Yes, you elected him President. Why so surprised now?
Maybe Placido Domingo can get a job with CNN.
What a weirdo. Is that a gay thing to stick your shit smelling fingers in someone's face?
Hice must be believed until proven he is lying though I guess.
I suspect there's a lot more to this story, and I'm not willing to just take some random bar tenders word for it. The "offer" to buy Don Lemon a "Lemon Drop" was obviously meant as some sort of insult and I've no doubt it wasn't just made in a friendly manner but likely in a very antagonistic way. I wouldn't be surprised if Don reacted in some way, perhaps threatening to give the offending bartender a "dirty Sanchez". Either way this is not really news and it's definitely not a "sexually charged assault".
What are you babbling about. Please tell me how in the liberal world a Lemon Drop is a derogative term. I'm serious I really want to hear the spin on this one.
Sweet I take it you were there now you can give us the details.
A yes the offending bartender. I can guarantee if he would have put his shitty fingers in my face he would have got them back broke.
It sounds like his attempt to extort money out of Lemon over the past 13 months hasnt worked out for the guy.
Another conspiracy theory?
No, common sense.
John Solomon would disagree.
"Lemons" actually can sour....no matter what "They" try to tell you otherwise.
I believe Lemon stated on his show that all sexual assault victims should be believed.
Believe Bartenders!
They're usually the only sane ones in the place at 1 AM
Smell My Finger...
It really has been a tough week for CNN:
"It’s been another rough week for CNN as the network suddenly has a plethora of off-screen issues in addition to its usual ratings struggles .
“Just when one thought things couldn't get any worse for CNN, they did,” NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck told Fox News.
“In CNN's current form, they've always had putrid ratings, disingenuous personalities and a pathetic inability to simply cover the news – instead fearmongering the small, anti-Trump audience into submission – but this past week was possibly the worst ever in totality.”
The liberal news network started off the week making headlines for the wrong reasons. “CNN Tonight” host Don Lemon was accused in a civil suit of a sexually charged assault of a bartender in New York's posh Hamptons area last year. The same evening that the Lemon news broke, on Tuesday, video circulated of CNN political analyst April Ryan looking on while a local news editor appeared to be violently removed from an event where she was a keynote speaker.
The Lemon and Ryan headlines came less than 24 hours after video of “Cuomo Prime Time” namesake Chris Cuomo threatening a man who called him “Fredo” went viral, capturing the attention of President Trump in the process.
"This was not a good week to be CNN. In addition to its abysmal ratings, three of its top news personalities are embroiled in scandal and controversy," Cornell University Law School professor and media critic William A. Jacobson told Fox News.
"In a rational world, CNN leadership would implement a dramatic course correction, but there is no sign that rationality prevails at CNN,” he said.
While CNN defended Cuomo, the president had a different take on the profanity-filled rant.
“I think what Chris Cuomo did was horrible. His language was horrible, he looked like a total out-of-control animal. He lost it,” Trump told reporters. “Chris Cuomo is out of control. I watched it, I thought it was terrible… you’ve never seen me do that.”
The CNN host is the younger brother of Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic governor of New York. But Cuomo’s outburst over being referred to as “Fredo,” a reference to Fredo Corleone, the weak and facile brother in the movie “The Godfather,” has been labeled hypocritical because several CNN personalities have used the exact reference to mock President Trump’s children.
CNN’s public relations team called the remark “an ethnic slur” and Cuomo compared it to “the N-word” for Italians. But CNN and the “Cuomo Prime Time” host didn’t seem to think the word was some sort of vile smear in the past.
The New York Post unearthed an old video in which Cuomo playfully referred to himself as “Fredo” during a 2010 radio interview and CNN’s Ana Navarro used the moniker to belittle Donald Trump Jr. earlier this year on Cuomo’s very own show. Cuomo didn’t reprimand Navarro for using the term that he now feels is equivalent to “the N-word.” CNN anchor Jake Tapper has also used the term, while CNN legal analyst Paul Callan used it in an op-ed earlier this year.
In fact, CNN pundits and guests have used the term “Fredo” so much that the Washington Free Beacon put together a montage of various times it was uttered on the liberal news network.
DePauw University professor and media critic Jeffrey McCall told Fox News that these latest controversies "surely complicate the overall image of CNN” amid a ratings crisis. CNN has struggled to attract viewers during the Trump administration and recently finished July as the No. 13 network on basic cable, averaging only 797,000 primetime viewers and shedding 11 percent of its audience compared to July 2018.
CNN’s most-watched program during July was “Cuomo Prime Time,” which finished No. 24 overall among cable news, behind 14 different Fox News shows and nine programs on MSNBC. It remains to be seen if the negative press will push CNN’s viewership further down the gutter, but McCall certainly doesn’t think it will help.
“News organizations never want to be the subject of news and CNN has allowed itself to become just that. No news outlet is immune from occasional bad publicity in this day and age, but some of CNN's latest difficulties were avoidable,” McCall said. “Odds are that loyal CNN viewers will not depart because of the negative reports coming out about high profile CNN personalities, but this kind of negative publicity likely scares away less devoted viewers or potential viewers.”