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Don Lemon out at CNN. Tucker Carlson out at Fox News. (Credit: EEW Magazine Online)

There’s a major shakeup in the world of cable news. Two well-known journalists, Don Lemon of CNN and Tucker Carlson of Fox News, have been ousted from their respective networks.

Longtime host Lemon’s ouster comes a little over two months after he apologized to viewers for sexist on-air comments about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley—a story previously reported in EEW Magazine Online.

Carlson’s exit comes on the same day, less than a week after Fox agreed to pay $787 million to settle a lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems over the network’s airing of false claims following the 2020 presidential election. Carlson was also recently named in a lawsuit by a former Fox producer who said the show had a cruel and misogynistic workplace.

Fox offered no explanation for the stunning move, saying that the last broadcast of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” aired last Friday. Shares of Fox Corp. slid 4% within seconds of the announcement of Carlson’s departure.

Similarly, CNN declined to provide a public explanation for Lemon’s departure. “CNN and Don have parted ways,” CNN chair and CEO Chris Licht said in a memo to staff that was also posted on the network’s communications Twitter account. “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”

But on the “CNN This Morning” co-host’s own Twitter account, Lemon contended the news came as a surprise to him and characterized it as a firing. He had appeared on his show that morning.

“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” he wrote in a statement posted shortly after 12 p.m. Eastern. “After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network.”

Around 45 minutes later, CNN issued a rebuttal on its PR account: “Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.”

In mid-February, Lemon caused an uproar when, during a discussion on “CNN This Morning” with co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins about the ages of politicians, he said that the 51-year-old Haley was not “in her prime.” A woman, he said, was considered in her prime “in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s.”

Harlow challenged Lemon, trying to clarify what he was referencing: “I think we need to qualify. Are you talking about prime for childbearing or are you talking about prime for being president?”

“Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just saying what the facts are,” Lemon responded. He brought up the subject again an hour later and was rebutted by commentator Audie Cornish.

Lemon issued a statement the same day saying he regretted his “inartful and irrelevant” comments. He was subsequently absent from the show for three days, returning the following week with a tweeted apology but no mention of the episode on air.

Carlson, who was not known for apologizing for his numerous controversies but rather doubling down, worked at both CNN and MSNBC earlier in his career. He quickly became Fox’s most popular personality after replacing Bill O’Reilly in the network’s prime-time lineup in 2016.

His populist tone about elites out to get average Americans rang true with Fox’s predominantly conservative audience, even leading to talk about him becoming a political candidate himself one day.

He did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Monday.

Earlier this year, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gave Carlson exclusive access to security tapes from the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, which the show used to conclude “the footage does not show an insurrection or riot in progress.” His interpretation was denounced by many, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Carlson has also been outspoken in questioning the United States support of Ukraine following its invasion by Russian forces.

Carlson had been expected to be among the first witnesses called if Dominion’s case had gone to trial, but the two parties settled last Tuesday on the same day that opening statements were expected.

Dominion had contended that some Fox programs had falsely aired allegations that the company had rigged the election against President Donald Trump, even though several Fox executives and personalities didn’t believe them. Carlson’s show was not among them; emails and text messages revealed as part of the lawsuit showed him profanely ridiculing one of the accusers.

“Fox News Tonight” will air in Carlson’s 8 p.m. ET prime-time slot, hosted by a rotating array of network personalities, for the time being.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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