Former CNN host Don Lemon is reported to have settled on a separation agreement of around $24.5 million, one year after leaving the network.

The severance pay corresponds to the salary that 57-year-old Lemon would have earned had he remained at CNN until the end of his contract, three and a half years from his departure. However, CNN refuted this claim on Tuesday.

“We never discuss the specifics of any employee’s contract, but this story is not accurate,” a CNN representative told The Post. It was not clarified whether the denial pertained to the settlement or the amount reported by the media.

Lemon was fired from CNN in April after a tumultuous period as a morning show co-host. The decision was made by then-CEO Chris Licht, who was later let go himself. This followed Lemon’s public apology for his comment that GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley was past her “prime”.

Lemon, taken aback by the unexpected termination, learned of it through his agent. He expressed his shock and disappointment on social media, noting that he had not been given any indication of his impending dismissal.

Lemon was intending to host his own show, “The Don Lemon Show,” on Elon Musk’s X platform. X had announced new content collaborations with Lemon, former U.S. congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, and sports radio host Jim Rome. However, during a conversation on Wednesday, March 13, Lemon revealed that his partnership with Musk did not end well and was canceled. This came after Lemon interviewed Musk for the first episode of his new independent online show.

Lemon noted that Musk initially encouraged him to start a new show on X, promising him full support. He believed Musk was genuinely interested in engaging with diverse voices.

Lemon also appeared on CNN’s show with Erin Burnett that same Wednesday evening. He discussed his interaction with Musk and shared clips from their 90-minute conversation, where he addressed various topics with Musk.

During the conversation, Lemon questioned Musk about the increase in hate speech on X since Musk’s acquisition of the platform last year. He asked whether Musk felt responsible for addressing hateful content.

Musk replied, “I don’t have to answer to journalists, Don. I’m doing this interview because you’re on the X platform and you asked for it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have agreed to talk.”

Lemon also asked Musk about his recent meeting with former President Donald Trump. CNN had reported that Musk was part of a series of meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, where Trump was courting contributors under financial pressure.

Musk explained, “I was at a breakfast hosted by a friend where Donald Trump was present. That’s all,” noting that the conversation was mostly driven by Trump.

Musk confirmed that despite Trump’s financial troubles, he did not ask Musk for monetary assistance. Musk asserted, “I am not funding his legal fees in any way.”

In addition, Lemon asked Musk about his publicly admitted use of the drug ketamine and whether it could affect his approval for government security clearance. According to Lemon, Musk dismissed these concerns, stating that he has a prescription for the drug.

After the interview, Lemon posted on social media that the conversation with Musk for the first episode of “The Don Lemon Show” was respectful and covered a wide range of topics. He noted that there were no restrictions on the interview to which Musk had agreed.

Lemon concluded, “His advocacy for a platform where all questions are answered and ideas are exchanged does not seem to extend to receiving inquiries about himself from people like me.”

In a video shared on his social media platforms on Wednesday, Lemon criticized Musk’s claim of supporting “unrestricted free speech.”

While the interview is not yet public, an insider reported that Musk was visibly upset after Lemon questioned him about his ketamine use, his access to government secrets, and antisemitism issues.

In response, X issued a statement justifying Musk’s decision to end its relationship with Lemon.

X announced that “The Don Lemon Show” is allowed to share its content on X freely. However, they reserve the right to assess business partnerships, which led to the decision not to pursue a commercial relationship with Lemon’s program.

In response to a question from an X user about this decision, Musk criticized Lemon and CNN, despite CNN’s lack of involvement in Lemon’s recent project.

Musk suggested that Lemon’s approach seemed to mimic CNN’s unsuccessful model on social media. He also implied that the show was more a vehicle for Jeff Zucker, the former head of CNN, rather than representing Lemon’s own viewpoint.

A representative for Lemon, however, argued that Musk should honor the financial commitments of their agreement.

The spokesperson stated, “Don has an agreement with X and expects compensation,” adding that legal action would be taken if necessary.

While no formal contract was signed with X, according to those familiar with the situation, an agreement does not need to be formally signed to be legally binding, especially if there’s evidence of mutual understanding. Lemon’s team is confident in the existence of an agreement, as X publicly hinted at such a deal earlier, and Musk seemed to confirm this by telling Jay Sures, Lemon’s agent, that the “contract is canceled.”

Musk had previously encouraged Lemon to start a show on his platform, suggesting on X last year that personalities like Rachel Maddow and Don Lemon would be beneficial. This was part of Musk’s wider calls for diversifying the voices on the platform.

Despite positioning himself as a strong advocate for unrestricted free speech, Musk has been known to limit critics on his platform, including suspending journalists and taking legal action against those who criticize X.

Musk’s management style has come under scrutiny as he has attacked journalists and mainstream media while promoting conspiracy theories and extreme views. Last year, he faced backlash for endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory, which led to a significant withdrawal of advertisers from X until Musk expressed regret for his comments days later.

Despite the cancellation on X, Lemon said his show would continue.