Don Lemon – Man’s Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against CNN Anchor To Land In Court In Early 2022
Don Lemon – Man’s Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against CNN Anchor To Land In Court In Early 2022
As Chris Cuomo faces newly surfaced sexual harassment claims, his fellow CNN TV personality Don Lemon is up against similar accusations.
While more than two years have passed since Dustin Hice sued Don Lemon for assault and battery, the lengthy process will soon reach a milestone as it will land in court in early 2022.
Hice alleged in his lawsuit that the incident occurred at Murf’s Backstreet Tavern in the Hamptons in July of 2018.
He claimed in documents filed in Suffolk County Court on Aug. 11, 2019:
“[Lemon] put his hand down the front of his own shorts, and vigorously rubbed his genitalia, removed his hand and shoved his index and middle fingers into Plaintiff’s mustache and under Plaintiff’s nose.”
“Lemon intensely pushed his fingers against Plaintiff’s face under Plaintiff’s nose, forcing Plaintiff’s head thrust backward as Defendant repeatedly asked Plaintiff ‘Do you like p***y or d**k?’ While saying this, Mr. Lemon continued to shove his fingers into Plaintiff’s face with aggression and hostility.”
Don Lemon called the lawsuit “frivolous” and denied all allegations.
Still, the court process became a long one thanks to an exhaustive discovery process and COVID-19. But Hice’s lawyer said he’s confident the lawsuit will reach the courts in January 2022.
Hice previously claimed that Lemon’s alleged “vile, disgusting, lewd and inhumane” conduct would be taken more seriously if Hice were a woman. He added,
“I’m not doing this for notoriety or fame, I’m doing this because I’m standing up for myself and what I believe in. I’ve grown a new respect for people dealing with mental health issues because stress, depression, anxiety, those are all very serious things. It consumed my life.”
Chris Cuomo is facing similar allegations from Shelley Ross, who was previously his executive producer for ABC’s Primetime Live. She alleged that after leaving that position to work as a producer for an entertainment special, he sexually harassed her at a work party in 2005. She recalled,
“When Mr. Cuomo entered the Upper West Side bar, he walked toward me and greeted me with a strong bear hug while lowering one hand to firmly grab and squeeze the cheek of my buttock.”
She added,
“’I can do this now that you’re no longer my boss,’ he said to me with a kind of cocky arrogance. ‘No you can’t,’ I said, pushing him off me at the chest while stepping back, revealing my husband, who had seen the entire episode at close range. We quickly left.”
She said he later apologized via email and said he was “ashamed.”
Chris Cuomo responded to her bringing up the claims earlier this month and said,
“As Shelley acknowledges, our interaction was not sexual in nature. It happened 16 years ago in a public setting when she was a top executive at ABC. I apologized to her then, and I meant it.”
What are your thoughts on the lawsuit against Don Lemon going to trial next year? Comment and let us know.
[VIA]