In a surprising turn of events, Don Lemon has announced that his partnership with Elon Musk has come to an abrupt end. Lemon, a former CNN anchor, conducted an exclusive interview with Musk for the debut episode of his new independent web-based show. However, Lemon now claims that Musk's promises of support and collaboration were empty words, as their partnership crumbled before it could even begin.

Lemon expressed his disappointment in a statement, revealing that Musk had publicly encouraged him to join X with a new show and assured him of his full support. Lemon, believing in Musk's commitment to working with diverse voices, conducted a sit-down interview with the billionaire for the first episode of "The Don Lemon Show." The interview was described as respectful and wide-ranging, with no restrictions imposed upon Lemon's questions.

Despite Lemon's efforts to foster open dialogue, he now believes that Musk's commitment to a global town square where all questions can be asked and all ideas can be shared does not extend to questions about the billionaire himself, particularly from individuals like Lemon. Lemon called attention to Musk's claim of being a "free speech absolutist," questioning its application when it came to scrutinizing his actions and ideas.

In response, X, Musk's platform, defended his decision to end the agreement with Lemon. They stated that while Lemon's show can still be published on X without censorship, they reserve the right to make decisions about their business partnerships. This decision follows Musk's public criticism of Lemon and CNN, insinuating that Lemon's new venture was simply a continuation of the same approach as the failing news network.

Lemon's spokesperson, however, insists that the media personality expects to be compensated according to the financial terms of their agreement. Should Musk fail to honor the terms, Lemon is prepared to take legal action to ensure his compensation.

The collapse of Lemon's deal with Musk comes after the billionaire had initially urged Lemon to launch his show on X. Musk had previously expressed support for hosting shows from left-leaning personalities such as Rachel Maddow and Don Lemon, claiming that the digital town square is for all. However, it seems that Musk's actions now contradict his previous statements about promoting diverse voices.

While Musk espouses the belief in free speech absolutism, he has faced criticism for limiting the speech of critics on his platform. Journalists have been suspended, and lawsuits have been filed against watchdogs publishing critical reports about X. Furthermore, Musk has been known to launch personal attacks on journalists and traditional news organizations while simultaneously promoting conspiracy theories and extremist rhetoric.

For Lemon, this setback follows his departure from CNN last year, a decision that left him stunned and without a specific reason. Lemon had been heavily criticized for making sexist comments about then-GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, although he publicly apologized for his remarks at the time, acknowledging his mistake.

As this story continues to unfold, Lemon remains rooted in his expectation of fair compensation, while Musk's actions raise further questions about his commitment to diverse viewpoints and free speech.