Former CNN anchor Don Lemon sued Elon Musk on Thursday for breach of contract, claiming Musk refused to pay him for an exclusive deal with social media platform X that was canceled after a tense interview between the anchor and the billionaire.
News anchor Don Lemon hosts the Ellie Awards 2018 in New York City.
The lawsuit was filed in the county of San Francisco, California, according to a legal filing.
Lemon, who claims that Musk refused to pay him after the deal fell apart in March, is suing Musk for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, misappropriation of name and likeness, breach of contract and unjust enrichment.
Lemon claims Musk made “false promises” about the details of the exclusive partnership with X, concealed important information from him, and deceptively used his name to promote the X brand.
According to the lawsuit, Lemon had expended resources in preparation for the deal—including forming his own media company, purchasing production equipment and entering into production deals with content companies.
The partnership was an agreement to have Lemon host his own shows on X in a deal worth $1.5 million annually in addition to advertising revenue, but fell apart after a tense recorded interview with Musk.
Forbes has reached out to Musk and X for comment.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.