Man sues CNN’s Don Lemon for alleged sexual harassment in New York bar

The plaintiff says he was partying at the Murf’s Backstreet Tavern club at the Hamptons, a high-end seaside resort in New York on July 15 last year, when he spotted Lemon and offered to buy him a ‘Lemon Drop’ drink. Lemon, who was with a group of friends of his own, declined, and both men were minding their own business for some time until Lemon unexpectedly turned up in front of the plaintiff and started to act erratically, the lawsuit claims.

Hice alleges that as soon as the host approached him, he “put his hand down the front of his own shorts, and vigorously rubbed his genitalia, removed his hand and shoved his index and middle fingers into Plaintiff’s moustache under Plaintiff’s nose.” Lemon then “intensely pushed his fingers against Plaintiff’s face under Plaintiff’s nose, forcing Plaintiff’s head to thrust backward as Defendant repeatedly asked Plaintiff ‘Do you like pussy or dick?’”

The “shocked and humiliated” Hice then fled the bar, then returned 5-10 minutes later, but Lemon was nowhere to be found, he says in his claim.

Don Lemon has yet to comment on the lawsuit. CNN, meanwhile, has sought to dismiss the allegations as a willful attempt to damage the channel’s reputation, citing an alleged “pattern of contempt” Hice showed on his social media towards the company.