Don Lemon is opening up about his arrest last month — and the unexpected boost it has given his career with a surge in his online following. Lemon has gained more than 300,000 new followers on Instagram and 140,000 new subscribers on YouTube since his arrest, according to The Washington Post.
“I think they did not expect public sentiment to go the way it’s going,” Lemon told The Washington Post in an interview published Saturday. “They elevated me when they tried to demean me and demote me.”
Following his arrest, which made headlines, President Donald Trump told reporters that Lemon getting arrested was the “best thing that could happen to him” because “he had no viewers,” adding, “And now he’s in the news.”
Lemon was arrested after his reporting of an anti-ICE protest that took place in a Minnesota church during Sunday services on Jan. 18. He was charged with violating civil rights laws by allegedly crossing a line from activity protected by the First Amendment to impeding others’ rights to practice their religious beliefs.
According to the Washington Post, the controversy also accelerated growth on his Substack newsletter, which now has more than 140,000 subscribers, some paying $8 per month to join what he calls “Lemon Nation.”
“I don’t want it to seem that I’m capitalizing on this. And I’m not. Because I could’ve been on every single morning show, with all the people calling for me,” Lemon told the outlet. “That’s just not why I’m doing this.”
He added, “Am I grateful that it turned out the way it did, and that it’s actually been more help than hindrance, at least for my business? Yes.”
Lemon was charged with violating federal laws by allegedly crossing a line from activity protected by the First Amendment to impeding others’ rights to practice their religious beliefs.
On Friday, Lemon pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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