Don Lemon's Sexual Assault Accuser Claims CNN Anchor Offered $500,000 In Hush Money To Settle Lawsuit
A man accusing Don Lemon of assaulting him while at a Long Island bar in 2018 has now alleged that the anchor offered him $500,000 to settle the suit.
Dustin Hice filed a lawsuit in August of 2019 that accused Lemon, 55, of assault and battery. According to legal documents obtained by Radar during the alleged interaction "[Lemon] 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 mustache and under Plaintiff's nose."
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Show — Hice claimed that the television personality wanted to pay him off in order to stay silent.
"Money is not what I’m after here. I just want to not live the rest of my life in regret, and to have a clear conscience, and to have closure from this situation,” he told the journalist and radio host about the alleged payment.
“He’s made three separate attempts almost at a half a million dollars to try and get me to be quiet, but my silence can’t be bought," Hice explained. "This isn’t about me trying to get money… At this point, I just want my life back. I don’t see any kind of settlement happening without an admission of guilt or an apology, but I seriously doubt with his ego and pride that’s going to happen."
"But that would be a start – if he said he was sorry and admitted that he messed up," the alleged victim stated during the interview.
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Lemon's accuser believes that his cable news network employer, CNN, staying silent on this matter is part of the problem. "Their comments have influenced people to the fact where they’re calling me a liar, and there are many other websites that have taken their words and formulated their own narrative on who I am and what I’ve done and what I’m looking for – my intentions here," Hice told Kelly.
"If they didn’t know the facts…They might not have known that he’s offered me almost half a million dollars in settlement offers multiple times," he continued. "And they might not have known that, but who are they to speak up on behalf of what’s going on between Don Lemon and I? They inserted themselves into this, and quite frankly I think they’re complicit in this.”
The Emmy Award winning journalist has denied these accusations labeling the suit as "frivolous."
