Many have wondered what former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been up to since his departure from the cable news network.
Here in the Mid-South, Lemon's grown a faithful fan base crossing generations — as many people told him during his recent visit to the Bluff City.
Whether you like his "straight no chaser" delivery, Lemon said has no intentions of changing or looking back. This is what he told ABC24 in an exclusive interview:
Lemon was one of the many journalist who descended on Memphis following the tragic death of Tyre Nichols as headlines updated the entire world on details regarding now-former Memphis police officers.
Don Lemon was actually the first to interview Tyre's mother Rowvaugn Wells, establishing a heart bond with the grieving parent.
Recently, that connection and others brought Lemon back to the Bluff City to speak to the Memphis chapter of the NAACP during their annual "Freedom Fund" gala.
Nichols' story struck a particular chord for lemon as a son of southern American — born around the end of the Civil Rights era.
"That made me curious about life; about how things ran, what's behind things and about America," Lemon said. "That's how I ended up becoming a journalist — just by being curious and asking questions."
Lemon's not talked publicly about his departure from CNN since the infamous tweets that lead to his firing.
More recent social media posts express his surprise over how things went down. The news vet has since placed it all into perspective, and the question isn't so much about him being fired, but how he says a fire was ignited in him.
He said it all fundamentally comes down to truth and responsibility.
"I have a responsibility as an American — not only as a journalist — to tell the truth and abide by the promises of the constitution," he said. "Because the constitution says a more perfect union — not a perfect union. I'm not perfect. No one is, but I think to fulfill the promise of the constitution, we have to stand up for what is right. We have to stand up for the truth."
Weeks after Lemon was fired from the network, so was the network's chief executive, Chris Licht. Lemon's dismissal was seen by some critics as just one of the then CEO and chairman's many missteps, spiraling the network into decline.
Licht's mission — to pull news coverage back to center. Some argue it is cause for more questions surrounding Lemon's dismissal.
"I don't believe in platforming liars and bigots, insurrectionists and election deniers and putting them on the same footing as people who are telling the truth; people who are fighting for what's right, people who are abiding by the constitution," Lemon said. "I think that would be a dereliction of journalistic duty to do those sorts of things."
Being true to himself is what lemon says allows him to sleep at night
"That is what has gotten me to this point, and those are the sorts of things that are going to carry me forward," he said. "To know that I am standing up and abiding by the Constitution, which my profession demands that I do because we are listing in the First Amendment of the Constitution, which is freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the press."
As for what lies ahead for Lemon, he said he's a man of faith.
"I'm not going to force anything," he said. I'm not going to let other people's timeline influence me. I know people say, 'I miss you on television. What is your next move?' I'm figuring that out. I don't have to be in a rush. I think people rush and they end up making the wrong the decisions. They rush into a relationship, and they end up marrying the wrong person. They rush into a job, and end up in the wrong house; wrong car. I'm not rushing into anything."
Lemon, who published memoirs "Transparent" in 2011 and "This is the Fire" in 2021, said he'll spend the next several months enjoying time with his fiance', real estate agent Tim Malone as well as their dogs, leaning into life.
"I'm not worried about it at all," Lemon said. "People are more worried about me than I am about myself. I am fine. I have somebody looking out for me."
Lemon may no longer helm the anchor desk at CNN, but he's still a journalist, maintaining a strong committment to it's liberties and justice for the people.
As he sat in Memphis tennessee, he reflected on the city's significance and the contributions and sacrifices of Martin Luther King Jr., Ida b. Wells and yes, Tyre Nichols, in the fight for truth and justice.
"If we don't honor them by standing up and doing the right thing by not letting [others] legislate us out of our rights and out of existence, then how are we honoring them?" he asked.
Editors note: An edit was made to the previous story to clarify comments made by Lemon.