NEW YORK - Mr Don Lemon is out at CNN.

In an announcement that Mr Lemon said left him “stunned”, CNN on Monday declared an end to its long-time relationship with Mr Lemon, a star anchor who was a fixture of the network’s prime-time line-up before enduring a short but controversial tenure as a morning show co-host.

“CNN and Don have parted ways,” Mr Chris Licht, CNN’s chairman, said in a statement. “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavours.”

That benign language contrasted sharply with Mr Lemon’s interpretation of the day’s events.

In a scathing message on Twitter, Mr Lemon told viewers that he was abruptly informed by his talent agent “that I have been terminated by CNN”.

“I am stunned,” Mr Lemon wrote. “After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network.”

CNN disputed Mr Lemon’s account, saying the anchor “was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter”.

In a clear sign of acrimony, Mr Lemon has retained the aggressive Hollywood litigator Bryan Freedman to handle his exit. His contract with CNN runs through 2026, according to two people with direct knowledge of his deal.

Hours before the duelling statements, Mr Lemon, 57, appeared on air in his usual anchor chair on CNN This Morning, the show he had hosted since November with Ms Poppy Harlow and Ms Kaitlan Collins.

He showed no signs of anxiety and signed off to viewers with a smile and a friendly, “Bye, everybody.”

One of CNN’s most recognisable stars, Mr Lemon had a reputation as a fiery political commentator during his eight years as a prime-time anchor.

But inside the network, he began to lose support after he made remarks in February about women and ageing that were widely perceived to be sexist. The incident generated a national uproar and a rare public rebuke from Mr Licht.

Mr Lemon had asserted on air that Ms Nikki Haley, the 51-year-old Republican presidential candidate, “isn’t in her prime, sorry”, adding: “A woman is considered to be in her prime in her 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.”

He dismissed the objections of his female co-hosts by responding, “I’m just saying what the facts are – Google it.”

He later apologised to the CNN newsroom and agreed to a corporate training programme to address his on-air behaviour.

Allies of Mr Lemon had hoped he would turn the page from the incident.

But executives at CNN gradually concluded that his future at the network had become untenable, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity because the internal discussions were sensitive.

In recent weeks, CNN’s bookers had discovered that some guests did not want to appear on air with Mr Lemon, and research on the morning show reviewed by CNN executives found that his popularity with audiences had fallen, one of the people said.

In its Monday statement, CNN said that its morning show – a major initiative of Mr Licht – would continue.

“CNN This Morning has been on the air for nearly six months, and we are committed to its success,” the network said.

Still, Mr Lemon’s exit raises the possibility of a bigger overhaul.

Ms Collins, a former White House correspondent, recently drew solid ratings during a week-long run as a substitute host at 9pm, fuelling speculation within the network that she might be considered for a permanent position in the time slot.

For Mr Lemon, his abrupt exit capped a dramatic fall for an anchor who just seven months ago was happily ensconced in prime time.

His long-running 10pm programme, Don Lemon Tonight, drew fans for his spiky exchanges and pull-no-punches commentary on politics and the Trump White House.

Mr Lemon imported that persona to CNN This Morning, but it was an awkward fit for an hour when many viewers – making breakfast and getting children off to school – want easy-going patter, not thundering monologues.

Tensions also emerged between Mr Lemon and one of his co-anchors, Ms Collins.

In December, CNN This Morning crew members were rattled after a backstage incident where Mr Lemon accused Ms Collins of interrupting him too often.

In recent weeks, CNN leaders were hopeful that Mr Lemon would adjust to his new morning-show role and that higher ratings would follow.

On Wednesday, however, Mr Lemon made headlines again after a highly contentious on-air exchange with Mr Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate.

The segment deteriorated as the men fiercely debated questions of black history and the US Constitution’s Second Amendment, which guarantees the right to bear arms.

Mr Lemon’s co-anchor, Ms Harlow, could be seen sitting silently beside him, at times casting her gaze elsewhere and scrolling through her smartphone.

The incident left several CNN leaders exasperated, the people said.

CNN This Morning has gotten off to a very slow start in the ratings, and struggled to keep pace with its predecessor, New Day.

At an appearance last week at the Paley Centre for Media, Mr Licht said that mornings were “the most competitive” hours in television.

“To launch a new show takes time,” he said. “And so it absolutely has had growing pains, and it will absolutely continue to evolve.”

The programme will now evolve without Mr Lemon at the helm. NYTIMES