In the complaint filed Thursday, Lemon accused X of using his “good name, likeness, identity, and reputation” to boost the platform’s own reputation, attract advertisers and to make a profit.
The former CNN host also alleged he was not paid after the contract was terminated, The Hill’s Lauren Sforza reported.
“Contrary to the promises and representations made to Lemon, once Defendants were enriched and gained the benefits of using Lemon’s name, likeness, identity, and reputation, they reneged on their express agreement with Lemon and have failed to compensate him, citing to false pretenses for their breach of the partnership agreement,” the lawsuit states.
According to the lawsuit, X had agreed to pay Lemon $1.5 million annually for creating videos for the platform, a percentage of the advertising revenue earned from his content and additional payments as he gained followers on the platform.
However, Lemon did not have a signed agreement, as Musk told him in a phone call last year that they would not need to have a formal written agreement or “fill out paperwork,” the lawsuit alleged.
Lemon revealed in January he would be launching the new show on X, months after his split from CNN. However, the host said in March that Musk canceled the show just a week before it was slated to roll out.
For the first episode in March, Musk agreed to sit for an interview with Lemon. Within one day of taping, the lawsuit claimed he texted Lemon’s agent to say that the deal was off.
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
