In a moment of supreme irony, former CNN presenter Don Lemon found himself in a New York taxi with a driver who was utterly engrossed in his podcast—without realising the star was sitting in the back seat.
The Unrecognised Passenger
The surreal incident occurred on a Sunday morning. Lemon, 59, recorded the encounter from the rear of the cab as his driver watched an episode of The Don Lemon Show on his mobile phone. Seizing the opportunity, the ousted journalist leaned forward and asked, "Can you turn that up? What are you watching?"
His driver flatly responded, "Don Lemon." When Lemon probed further, asking if the driver knew who he was, the man peered into his rearview mirror and admitted, "Uh, no actually." It was only when the driver turned around for a proper look that the penny dropped.
A Viral Moment of Realisation
The driver's reaction was one of stunned recognition. He exclaimed, "Oh! My man," and shook Lemon's hand. Lemon, posting the video to Threads, wrote "I couldn't have asked for a better moment this morning," and insisted to the camera that the situation was not staged.
When asked, the driver claimed to watch the show "every day. Twice a day," and offered a simple review of "Well done. Well done" when Lemon inquired about his thoughts.
Controversy and a Costly Exit from CNN
The light-hearted taxi ride stands in contrast to the turbulent end of Lemon's 17-year tenure at CNN. He was fired from the network in 2023 following a string of controversies, most notably comments made on air suggesting a woman was "past her prime" once over the age of 40, which sparked widespread accusations of misogyny.
Lemon said he was "stunned" by his dismissal, claiming management did not have the decency to inform him directly. CNN's communications team disputed his account of events. A source at the time told Daily Mail that Lemon had lost the respect of female staff and that "no one wanted to work with him."
Despite the controversy, Lemon walked away with a substantial $24.5 million settlement. He has since maintained he has "no regrets" about his conduct, though his public behaviour in New York has occasionally drawn puzzled reactions on social media.
He launched The Don Lemon Show as an independent podcast following his high-profile exit from the broadcaster, an endeavour his dedicated taxi driver appears to be supporting.
