Amid another violent night of protests across dozens of American cities to demonstrate against the death of George Floyd, CNN anchor Don Lemon used his on-air time Saturday evening to condemn the behaviors of some of his “Hollywood†friends. During a live conversation with Rev. William Barber, Lemon revealed that many of these famous pals have privately messaged him over the past few days to praise his coverage, but refused to offer any help or outreach despite their massive platforms. “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 television and you’re bitching about it,†Lemon said without listing specific names, according to THR. “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.â€
Lemon said that when he asked certain friends to appear on his CNN show to discuss protests or politics, the general response he received was the following: “I don’t want people to see me mad, it might hurt my business, I’m so upset I have to go to my country house.†He added, as a final word of frustration to celebrities, “If you’re not going to do it now, when are you going to do it? Stop making excuses.†Outside of Lemon’s friend orbit, many prominent faces have indeed been using their platforms to encourage political change. These include Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift. Numerous others also joined nationwide protests on May 29 and 30.