A San Francisco judge ruled that former CNN host Don Lemon can move forward with key parts of his lawsuit against Elon Musk and X Corp. for canceling his content deal for a show on the social media platform.
Lemon filed suit against Musk, X, and former CEO Linda Yaccarino.
The lawsuit came after Lemon’s planned show on the platform was terminated following a contentious interview with Musk himself.
Yaccarino abruptly stepped down as CEO just one day before the ruling.
On Thursday, Superior Court Judge Harold Kahn allowed Lemon’s claims of fraud, misappropriation of name and likeness, and breach of implied contract to proceed.
However, the judge dismissed several other claims, including defamation, retaliation, negligence, harassment, and negligent misrepresentation.
“The ruling means Don can hold X and Musk accountable in open court,” Lemon’s attorney said in a statement, casting the outcome as a win for the former CNN anchor.
“Musk is subject to the legal process, just like everyone else.”
Musk previously addressed the lawsuit publicly, writing on X:
“He made a series of impressively insane demands.
“We declined. Therefore, there was no deal.”
According to The New York Post, Lemon’s demands reportedly included a $5 million upfront payment, an $8 million salary, an equity stake in X, a Tesla Cybertruck, a private jet to Las Vegas, and coverage of day-drinking expenses and massages for himself and his fiancée.
Despite these extraordinary demands, Lemon now claims that he was “rushed” into the deal and misled by X executives who allegedly promised him full creative control and “unfettered” support.
Musk pulled the plug on the partnership in March after a heated interview meant to launch the show.
The lawsuit claims Musk abruptly canceled the deal via text to Lemon’s agent, writing simply:
“Contract is canceled.”
X executive Brett Weitz allegedly told Lemon that the platform wouldn’t pay or move forward with the deal because there was no signed agreement, despite Musk’s previous assurance that no formal paperwork would be necessary.
The judge will allow Lemon to amend his breach of express contract claim, noting the original lawsuit did not clarify whether the agreement was oral, written, or implied.
Defamation claims were dismissed, including Musk’s comparison of Lemon to Veruca Salt, the spoiled child from “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
The court ruled that Lemon failed to show that such comments met the legal threshold for defamation.
Musk’s legal team had attempted to move the case to federal court in Texas, but the judge denied that request, keeping the proceedings in San Francisco.
Lemon, who was ousted from CNN after a series of on-air controversies and clashes with co-hosts, had hoped to use the new show on X as a comeback vehicle.
According to court filings, he was offered $1.5 million for the deal, plus a 60% cut of ad revenue and performance-based bonuses.
But after the Musk interview went south, the entire deal unraveled.
While Lemon’s legal team frames the lawsuit as a matter of accountability, conservatives view it as another example of legacy media figures failing to adapt to platforms they no longer control and blaming others when things fall apart.
For now, Lemon gets his day in court, but the case may expose far more about Hollywood entitlement, corporate overreach, and the crumbling media establishment than he bargained for.
READ MORE – Don Lemon: Trump Supporters Are ‘Really Racist,’ Black MAGA Voters Aren’t ‘Rational’
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