Don Lemon Calls Out Hollywood Leaders For ‘Doing Nothing’ Amid George Floyd Protests
CNN anchor Don Lemon called out Hollywood leaders on Saturday, who he accused of “doing nothing” from the comfort of their “mansions” as protesters of George Floyd’s death sweep across the U.S.
“But what about the leadership in other places?” Lemon said, per Breitbart. “What about Hollywood? Strangely quiet.”
Lemon noted the praise he has received on Twitter and called on such individuals to do more to support the movement protesting Floyd’s death.
“Especially black celebrities and black leaders and while celebrities and rich Hollywood and rich folks and wealthy people,” he said.
The 54-year-old correspondent asked why such celebrities and leaders were not throwing their support behind the young people he said are alone and “standing on a platform at the edge of an abyss.”
“Yes, I’m calling you out. You can be mad at me all you want. You’re sitting there watching TV, and you’re b*tching about it.”
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Lemon claimed that many stars refused to come on his show and said they don’t want people to see them angry or hurt their brand. Lemon told them to stop texting and tweeting him praise and take action.
“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 called on people with power, influence, and wealth to support the Floyd protesters, although he was clear to distinguish them from the people looting and causing chaos. In particular, Lemon called on Ellen Degeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Tracee Ellis Ross, Anthony Anderson, Drake, Diddy, and Jane Fonda to use their visibility to be a voice for the young protestors taking to the streets in the name of Floyd.
The same night, Lemon also called out President Donald Trump and other country leaders, who he said should be calling for calm. Lemon’s comment came as Trump took aim at Democrat mayors on Twitter. In particular, Trump slammed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for his handling of the protests and threatened to send the U.S. military into the state.
As reported by Vulture, various celebrities outside of Lemon’s orbit, including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, have used their platforms to make political statements amid the Floyd protests. Notably, Beyonce called for justice for Floyd and urged people of all ethnicities not to become normalized by such violence and the pain that comes from it.
