Don Lemon, a former CNN host, has filed a lawsuit against Elon Musk and X, formerly Twitter, following the abrupt cancellation of his partnership with the social media platform.

The partnership was established after a tense interview in March 2023, where Lemon challenged Musk on various controversial topics, but it was abruptly canceled the day after their interview.

Lemon claims he was promised a $1.5 million annual salary, full control over his content, and financial incentives to attract advertisers, but alleges he was never compensated for his work.

The lawsuit includes claims of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, misappropriation of name and likeness, and breach of contract, although the monetary damages sought are unspecified.

Lemon's attorney accused X executives of exploiting him for advertising purposes and then abandoning the partnership while damaging his reputation.

Lemon incurred significant expenses while preparing to fulfill his contractual obligations, including establishing a media company and purchasing equipment, which he claims were in reliance on the partnership.

Following the cancellation, Lemon was informed by an X representative that he would not be compensated due to the absence of a signed contract.

The lawsuit details that Lemon was pressured to attend a CES event to promote the show, with the threat of cancellation looming if he did not comply.

Musk criticized Lemon's approach, suggesting it was essentially 'CNN, but on social media', which he believed was ineffective.

As part of the partnership, Lemon was invited to appear at the CES tech gathering in Las Vegas to promote the show and connect with advertisers.

As of the time of reporting, X and Musk's legal representatives had not commented on the lawsuit.