Sometimes it’s just jokes and sometimes those jokes warrant an apology. And that’s exactly what former CNN host Don Lemon got from former “The Daily Show” correspondent Roy Wood Jr.
For context, Lemon was one of the subjects of Wood Jr.’s set during his stint as the host for the 2023 White House Correspondent’s Dinner. Why? Because the longtime anchor had just been fired from CNN a mere five days before the popular event. Conflicting reports at the time—Lemon saying he was fired vs. CNN saying they “offered him a meeting”—became fodder for Wood Jr. during the dinner where he quipped: “They had to part ways because Don Lemon can’t even accurately report a story about Don Lemon.”
Jump to Wednesday’s episode’s of “The Don Lemon Show,” Wood Jr. admitted to the joke not hitting the way it was intended and apologized.
“Let me say first to you, I’m sorry for how that joke was worded, it did not come out the right way. Second thing working against me was public sentiment against you was 50/50 already off the top. So people were able to take that joke and use it as kerosene for the Don Lemon, fucking with burning at the stake or whatever,” Wood Jr. said. “Which is what they were trying to do to you during that week.”
He continued:
“And especially knowing what we know now about CNN and the powers that be that are now no longer there at the time—I wish I had’ve taken more of an exploration into...I spoke to my head writer about this when we talked about it after the fact. What I wish I would’ve done was also spoken about, OK, there are people that don’t like you, there are people in the newsroom who may not like you for your approach to the craft. OK, fine, cool.
But we also cannot eliminate the fact that what you were doing was essential in terms of uplifting Blackness. Because the backside of my correspondence speech, I talked about Black media. I talked about my father’s role on Black media, I talked about Black radio, I gave a shoutout to EURN that was in the room and they do all the Black news stories and April Ryan. And all od these peopole who are fighting to make sure that Black stuff is told at a time where they’re trying to mute it with CRT...and that’s the part where it felt like ‘ahh I needed a joke that gave them flowers, too.”
Lemon went on to accept the apology and admit to having a sense of humor, but he did share his single disappointment: the joke bothered his mom.
“My mom loves you and she was like ‘why would Roy Wood Jr. do that?’” Lemon said.
To which a sincere yet comically dejected Wood Jr. later responded: “Mama Lemon I’m sorry for the jokes I said about your son at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner two years ago and I hope you’ll let me come over for sweet potato pie.”