Prominent journalist Don Lemon has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and X, formerly known as Twitter, alleging a failure of payment after his show deal on the platform was abruptly terminated. The lawsuit, which was filed on Thursday in the Superior Court of California in San Francisco County, accuses the billionaire and his company of fraud, breach of contract, and misappropriation of Lemon's name and likeness.

According to the complaint, Lemon was lured into an exclusive show deal with promises of $1.5 million annually, full control over his content, and financial incentives to attract advertisers. However, Musk and X pulled out of the agreement without making any payment to Lemon. The lawsuit claims that Musk and X sought to partner with established public figures, like Lemon, in an attempt to increase their advertising revenue and improve their own reputation.

The complaint alleges that Lemon had reservations about entering an exclusive partnership with X due to the ongoing controversies surrounding the platform. Nonetheless, Musk assured Lemon that he would have complete authority and control over his work, even if Musk did not agree with it. Formal written agreements were deemed unnecessary, according to the complaint.

In January of this year, X and Musk presented Lemon with a one-year deal proposal that included exclusive rights to specific video content, advertising revenue sharing, and performance threshold payments based on follower counts. The show was planned to be 30-minute episodes, focusing on politics, culture, sports, and entertainment, to be aired exclusively on the platform. However, the lawsuit alleges that Musk and X never intended to fulfill their promises and instead aimed to profit off Lemon's name and promote their company.

The filing also highlights a contentious interview between Lemon and Musk that took place on March 8. Lemon questioned Musk about his meeting with Donald Trump, his use of ketamine, and hate speech on X. Following the interview, Musk sent Lemon's agent a text message canceling the partnership and contract. Weitz, X's head of content, talent, and brand sales, also informed Lemon that the defendants were not planning to pay him or honor their promises due to the lack of a signed agreement.

Lemon, who incurred significant expenses in starting his own media company, including forming partnerships, creating a studio, and hiring staff, alleges that X and Musk reneged on their agreement and failed to compensate him, causing damages to his career, financial losses, and emotional distress.

Carney Shegerian, Lemon's attorney, commented on the case, stating, "You don't have to be a genius to see the fraud, negligence, and reputational damage here." Shegerian emphasized that Lemon is committed to defending his good name and looks forward to having his day in court.

As of now, Elon Musk and X have not responded to NBC News' requests for comment on the lawsuit. The legal battle between Lemon, a respected figure in journalism, and Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur, is set to unfold in the courtroom.