As of 2026, Don Lemon is running an independent digital media company called Lemon Media Network while fighting federal civil rights charges tied to an anti-ICE protest at a St. Paul church. If you’ve been asking where Don Lemon is now, the short answer is this: he’s producing The Don Lemon Show across YouTube, Substack, and podcast platforms, touring live with comedian D.L. Hughley, pursuing a $35 million lawsuit against Elon Musk, and awaiting trial on two federal counts under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
The Federal Charges in Minnesota
On January 18, 2026, protesters interrupted a service at Cities Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in St. Paul. They chanted “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good,” targeting pastor David Easterwood, who was also serving as acting director of the St. Paul field office for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.1PBS NewsHour. Don Lemon Pleads Not Guilty to Civil Rights Charges in Anti-ICE Minnesota Church Protest Easterwood’s dual role had surfaced publicly after he appeared at an October 2025 press conference with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.2Word&Way. Protesters Disrupt Southern Baptist Church Service
The demonstration was driven in part by the January 7, 2026 fatal shooting of Renee Good, a 37-year-old Minneapolis mother killed by ICE deportation officer Jonathan Ross while she tried to drive away from federal agents. Bystander video contradicted the government’s initial account. The FBI opened a use-of-force investigation, and Ross was not charged.3NBC News. ICE Shootings and Border Patrol Operations4WBUR. Johnathan Ross, ICE Killing of Renee Good
The Indictment and Arrest
A federal grand jury indicted Lemon and eight others on two counts: conspiracy against the right of religious freedom at a place of worship, and injuring, intimidating, and interfering with the exercise of religious freedom. Both charges arise under the FACE Act, a 1994 law originally enacted to protect reproductive health clinics but amended during passage to cover places of worship as well. The indictment alleged that Lemon helped plan the protest, withheld details in his reporting, obstructed a pastor’s movement, and physically blocked congregants from leaving. It also cited bodily injury to one church member.5The Hill. Don Lemon Indicted on Civil Rights Charges
Federal agents arrested Lemon at a Beverly Hills hotel on the morning of January 30, 2026. He was released on his own recognizance after a court appearance in Los Angeles.6ABC News. Don Lemon Arrested in Connection With Minnesota Protest Other named defendants include civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong, independent journalist Georgia Fort, and Black Lives Matter Minnesota organizer Trahern Crews. A later round of indictments brought the total number of people charged to 39.7PBS NewsHour. 30 More People Indicted Over Anti-ICE Protest at Minnesota Church
The Not-Guilty Plea
On February 13, 2026, Lemon and four co-defendants entered not-guilty pleas before U.S. Magistrate Judge Douglas L. Micko in St. Paul.8The New York Times. Don Lemon Plea in Minnesota Church Protest Case His attorney, Abbe Lowell, argues that Lemon was present as a journalist and that the FACE Act requires “specific intent” to disrupt religious worship, which the government cannot prove against someone performing a reporting function. Lowell has also framed the prosecution as a First Amendment case.9Columbia Journalism Review. Inside the Legal Defense of Georgia Fort and Don Lemon
Before the indictment issued, the Justice Department ran into resistance from the bench. Judge Micko initially refused to issue arrest warrants for Lemon and four others, and Minnesota Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz rejected the DOJ’s appeal of that decision as “frivolous.” In a January 22, 2026 message to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, Schiltz wrote that two of the five targets “were not protestors at all; instead, they were a journalist and his producer. There is no evidence that those two engaged in any criminal behavior or conspired to do so.”10Politico. DOJ Trump Minnesota Don Lemon Protest The government then obtained the indictment through a grand jury, bypassing the magistrate’s refusal.
The defense has filed motions to unseal grand jury testimony, arguing that prosecutors may have “misrepresented the law and the facts in obtaining an indictment.” Lemon’s team is also opposing the government’s request for a complex-case designation under the Speedy Trial Act, which would push trial beyond the standard 70-day window. The seizure of Lemon’s cell phone during his arrest remains contested, with the court deferring resolution.9Columbia Journalism Review. Inside the Legal Defense of Georgia Fort and Don Lemon No trial date has been set, and the case is ongoing.11Star Tribune. Anti-ICE Protest at Cities Church
What He’s Doing: Lemon Media Network
After CNN parted ways with him in April 2023,12CNN. Don Lemon CNN Departure Lemon didn’t return to cable. He built an independent operation and started producing The Don Lemon Show, distributing long-form interviews and commentary on YouTube, Substack, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitch.13Don Lemon. Don Lemon Official Site He typically posts two shows per weekday on YouTube, with shorter “Lemon Drop” segments on developing stories.14Variety. TV News Faces Creator Chaos
By mid-2026, the Lemon Media Network reported more than 10 million subscribers across platforms, with roughly half that growth in the prior year.15The Wrap. Don Lemon Network Newsroom Operations Expansion In December 2025, his independent New Year’s Eve livestream from New Orleans drew over 30 million total views and 600,000 concurrent live viewers, sponsored by Don Julio tequila.16Variety. Don Lemon New Year’s Eve Creator Media Lemon has said he expects his independent earnings to eventually surpass what CNN paid him.14Variety. TV News Faces Creator Chaos
He is also touring with comedian D.L. Hughley in a live conversation series called “DL + DL Anything Goes,” with stops at City Winery in New York, the Boch Center’s Shubert Theatre in Boston, and Capital One Hall in Virginia.17Capital One Hall. DL Hughley Don Lemon DL + DL Anything Goes18Boch Center. DL + DL Anything Goes In September 2024, he published a memoir, I Once Was Lost: My Search for God in America, through Little, Brown and Company.19Little, Brown and Company. I Once Was Lost
The Elon Musk Lawsuit Is Still Pending
Lemon’s other active legal fight is a civil case against Elon Musk and X Corp. The two had announced a show deal in January 2024, with Lemon hosting a program on the platform formerly known as Twitter.20The Guardian. Don Lemon Elon Musk Lawsuit In March 2024, Lemon filmed a debut interview with Musk at Tesla’s Austin headquarters, pressing him on ketamine use, antisemitic content on X, and diversity programs. Hours after taping, Musk texted Lemon: “contract terminated.” Musk later said the show felt too much like “CNN, but on social media.”21CNN. Don Lemon Says Elon Deal Canceled
Lemon sued in San Francisco Superior Court on August 1, 2024, seeking $35 million. The complaint alleged fraud, misappropriation of name and likeness, and breach of contract, claiming Lemon had been promised a $1.5 million deal with revenue-sharing incentives and that X used him to reassure advertisers before discarding him.22CNN. Don Lemon Elon Musk Lawsuit X Show23Deadline. Don Lemon Elon Musk Lawsuit24CNBC. Musk Don Lemon X Trial No trial date has been set.
Personal Life
Lemon married real estate broker Tim Malone on April 6, 2024, at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. The couple had been together since 2016 and engaged since 2019. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield officiated.25People. Don Lemon Marries Tim Malone Lemon describes himself politically as an independent, saying he holds “some political leanings that are conservative and some that are liberal.”26The Hill. Don Lemon Says He Is Not a Democrat