Rick Ross has fans calling foul play after he jokingly offered ousted CNN host Don Lemon a job at one of his Wingstop restaurants.
Lemon announced that he’d been terminated by the network on April 24 with a lengthy post on Twitter. The former talk show host said that he’d been let go after nearly two decades with the cable news outlet without warning.
“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned,” wrote Lemon.
“After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had 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. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play.”
He continued, “With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, I wish them all the best. “
Following the announcement, Ross took to Instagram to recruit Lemon to work at one of the 30 Wingstop locations he owns. He also made a joke referencing lemon pepper wings considering the journalist’s last name.
“It’s the biggest boss in the game, Ricky Rozay. Just found out Don Lemon was terminated from CNN. Damn, Don. But guess what?” said Ross. “The brother’s got your back. We hiring at Wingstop. And for some reason, I believe you know what you doing with them lemon pepper wings.”
“So man, just send over your resume, well, 17 years. Damn. But I’ma make sure I get you in front of the right grill, brother. Stay solid, brother,” he concluded.
Fans on social media had mixed reactions to Ross’ offer. Some called out the Maybach Music CEO for his shady response to someone losing their job, and others felt it was disrespectful to offer Lemon a job in front of a “grill” as Ross mentioned due to his esteemed catalog.
One fan replied, “Damn what Don do to him? That’s he’s offering him a job as a fry cook? Wow.”
“Send over you resume to wing stop LMFAO,” joked another fan. “This is peak ignorance.”
“Yo, this is mad disrespectful, c’mon,” said one fan. “Why Don gotta be slinging wings.”
“This is not funny at all,” echoed a fourth individual.
Lemon was terminated just months after his on-air remarks about women in their “prime,” in reference to the 51-year-old former governor of South Carolina. In February, he said, “Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime, sorry. A woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”
The comment was widely criticized and viewed as misogynistic and sexist, which led Lemon to later apologize for the “inartful and irrelevant” remarks he made earlier this year.
Haley seemingly appeared to celebrate Lemon’s departure from CNN after she tweeted, “To women everywhere, don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re past your prime.”
CNN called Lemon’s statement regarding his departure “inaccurate,” stating that he had an opportunity to meet with management before sharing it on social media.
It’s unclear exactly what led to Lemon’s firing, but The New York Times speculates that his heated exchange with right-wing GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy may have been the tipping point.
Lemon challenged Ramaswamy’s assertion that the NRA helped free slaves obtain their Second Amendment rights after the Civil War during an episode of “CNN This Morning” last Wednesday. Ramaswamy insisted it was a “historical fact,” but Lemon said it’s a “lie.”
“The fact that I find insulting is that you are sitting here telling an African American about the rights and what you find insulting about the way I live, the skin I live in every day,” said Lemon, “and I know the freedoms that Black and white — that Black people don’t have in this country and that Black people do have,” he said.
Sources allegedly told the outlet the interview “left several CNN leaders exasperated.”
According to TMZ, Lemon doesn’t need to take Ross up on his offer just yet as it looks like NewsNation may be interested in hiring Lemon. The cable network hired Lemon’s former colleague Chris Cuomo after he was terminated from CNN last year.
