Former CNN host Don Lemon gave a surprising response to his firing Wednesday night, in his first comments to the media after he was let go from the network.
Lemon told Page Six he wasn't angry about his termination despite previously revealing he had been "stunned" by the decision.
"It’s not in my nature," Lemon said at the TIME 100 gala on Wednesday night. "I’m not an angry person, I’m not mad."
DON LEMON'S CO-HOSTS REACT IN FIRST BROADCAST AFTER FIRING: ‘REALLY PROUD OF THIS SHOW’
Former CNN host Don Lemon said he was ‘not mad’ about the network firing him earlier this week. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for THR)
On Monday, Lemon griped that CNN management did not talk to him directly preceding his firing, a claim that the network disputes.
"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," Lemon wrote. "It is clear that there are some larger issues at play."
Two days later he displayed a more positive outlook on the situation. The journalist told Page Six he was "resilient" and lucky to be financially secure even though he was out of a job.
"I’m a very resilient person," he explained. "I’ve had a very full life with lots of twists and turns. I come from strong, sturdy stock in Louisiana and I am lucky enough to be in a position where I don’t have to worry about, you know, not having a place to live or a home or whatever."
Don Lemon had an off-air spat with "CNN This Morning" co-host Kaitlan Collins last December. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images for CNN)
Lemon also thanked his fiancé Tim Malone for his support.
"I have people around me who love me, including this gentleman," Lemon said, referring to Malone who was also at the gala. "So I’m good."
The journalist said he believed there was a purpose to being let go from the network and he was hopeful for the future.
"My emotions are upward. There’s a reason that this happened and then we’ll see what happens in the future," Lemon said. "[B]ut I’m actually here to celebrate the people from TIME 100 and not talk about me and what’s happened to me."
After Lemon expressed anger on Twitter about how he was fired, the network disputed his version of events.
"Don Lemon's statement about this morning's events is inaccurate," its communications team wrote in a statement on Monday. "He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter."
Lemon declined to comment when asked by Page Six about the inconsistent accounts.
CNN's Don Lemon faced intense backlash after suggesting that presidential candidate Nikki Haley is "past her prime." (Theo Wargo/Getty)
Lemon's firing came after months of bad press, the worst of which was his remarks about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley being "past her prime," and his badly received efforts to atone for them.
In a statement, CNN Communications tweeted on April 24, "CNN and Don have parted ways. 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."
Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report.
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