Don Lemon is grabbing headlines once more after he decided to go after a long list of high-profile celebrities for refusing to stand up and speak out against police brutality after the death of George Floyd.
The CNN Tonight host outed a few famous people who reached out to him and told him that he has been doing a good job on his show but refused to appear to make their voices heard because it will hurt their brands.
Lemon went after Hollywood elites like Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Drake, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Tyler Perry.
He also asked Anthony Anderson, Diddy, and Jane Fonda to use their platform for this movement that has now gone worldwide with protests in England and supporters in Belgium.
Lemon said: “What about Hollywood? Strangely quiet. I’ve seen them on Twitter, I see them, ‘Oh, I’m loving what Don Lemon’s doing’… But they gotta do more than that.”
The anchor went on to ask the following question: “Why aren’t they helping these young people? These young people are out there standing on a platform at the edge of an abyss by themselves.”
In his lengthy monologue, Lemon said these major Hollywood players need to stop hiding behind their brands: “Yes, I’m calling you out, and you can be mad at me all you want. And what they’re doing, you’re sitting there and watching TV, and you’re b***tching abut it… Get on television or do something and help these young people instead of sitting in your mansions and doing nothing. And have some moral courage and stop worrying about your reputation and your brand.”
Lemon said some millionaires and billionaires told him the following: “I don’t want people to see me mad, and it might hurt my business, I’m so upset I have to go to my country house.”
The media personality went on to say: “I want to see you, Tracee Ellis Ross. I want to see you, Tyler Perry. I want to see you, Drake. I want to see you, my friend, Anthony Anderson. I love you … I want to see you, Diddy. I want to see you, Jane Fonda, who I love and respect.”
Lemon pointed to Beyoncé, who issued a statement on Floyd’s death, and he called others to follow her example: “Beyoncé released a message, and you can’t? If you’re not going to do it now, when are you going to do it?… Stop making excuses.”
Some say that celebrities might complicate the conversation if they become too vocal.
