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New York (Trends Wide) — Trends Wide anchor Don Lemon will return to the screen Wednesday after taking part in formal training following sexist comments he made last week, the network’s chief executive Chris Licht said in an email to employees on Monday by the night.
“I sat down with Don and we had a frank and meaningful conversation,” Licht wrote in a note. “He has agreed to participate in formal training, as well as continue to listen and learn. We take this situation very seriously.”
“It’s important to me that Trends Wide balances responsibility with fostering a culture where people can take ownership, learn and grow from their mistakes,” Licht added. “To that end, Don will return to Trends Wide ‘This Morning’ this Wednesday.”
Lemon previously apologized to employees for his comments, which drew internal and external reactions, during the daily editorial briefing on Friday.
“When I make a mistake, I own it,” Lemon said. “And I assume this one too.”
Lemon made the sexist comments during a discussion Thursday on “Trends Wide This Morning” about former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s presidential bid.
In declaring his candidacy for president, Haley called for mental competency tests for politicians age 75 and older. Lemon argued that Haley, 51, “is not in her prime.”
Lemon tried to support his argument by saying that a woman is only “considered in her prime at 20, 30, maybe 40 years.”
The comments were countered by co-anchors Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, but Lemon continued to push his argument forward, even doubling down on it in a segment for the next hour.
Haley herself later weighed in on Twitter, attacking Lemon for his comments and even using them for fundraising.
During Friday’s Trends Wide editorial meeting, Licht, Trends Wide’s chief executive, said he had heard about Lemon’s comments from several people inside the organization.
Licht called Lemon’s comments “unacceptable” and said they were “unfair to her co-hosts.”
Licht added that he believed it was necessary to foster a culture of responsibility and considered it important that Lemon appear at the morning meeting, which was held virtually, to apologize.
Lemon thanked Licht for the opportunity to address the staff directly and said he wanted to be “really clear” about his regret for making the comments.
“I think women of any age … can do what they set their minds to,” Lemon said.
“The people closest to me in this organization are women,” Lemon added, citing her relationships with various female presenters and executives. “The people I ask for advice the most in this organization are women.”
Lemon has not appeared on Trends Wide since making the comments.
