Lemon claims that Musk and X promised him "full authority and control" over his work, even if it was disliked by the Tesla CEO and his executives. The lawsuit, posted by Variety, also states that Lemon never received any payment for the content deal, which was supposed to guarantee him $1.5 million in the first year.

According to Lemon's legal claim, the much-anticipated content partnership between Lemon and X abruptly collapsed before it even began. X announced the end of the arrangement just days before the maiden broadcast was set to air in March. Musk, who had previously mocked Lemon's approach as "basically just 'CNN, but on social media,'" criticized Lemon's interviewing style during their conversation, describing it as "not cogent."

Lemon's attorney, Carney R. Shegerian, has yet to comment on the lawsuit, and X representatives have not responded to requests for a statement. The former CNN anchor's lawsuit alleges that Musk and his team deliberately misrepresented their intentions, using Lemon's name and professional reputation to rebuild X's tainted image after losing major advertisers due to Musk's support of an antisemitic post.

In addition to the financial losses Lemon claims to have suffered as a result of the failed partnership, he also alleges that he incurred "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in expenses to establish his own media company for producing the X content. The lawsuit seeks $35 million in damages for fraud and breach of contract.

This lawsuit marks another blow to the reputation of Elon Musk and his ventures. Lemon, known for his sharp journalistic skills and credibility, is determined to hold Musk and X accountable for their alleged actions. As the legal battle progresses, the outcome could have far-reaching implications for both Lemon and the future of X's social media platform.