Don Lemon receives standing ovation at starry pre-Grammys party just days after controversial Minnesota church arrest

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Just days after a controversial arrest, Don Lemon was given a standing ovation at a glamorous pre-Grammy Awards party in Hollywood.

Former CNN anchor, 59, was arrested on January 29th after participating with protestors who entered a Minnesota church earlier in the month to demonstrate against ICE.

Lemon claims he was reporting as a journalist, but federal charges have been filed against him for conspiracy and violating the First Amendment rights of people at a religious service.

After a court appearance in Los Angeles on Friday, he was freed without having to pay bail. His lawyer stated he plans to plead not guilty.

On Saturday night, Lemon attended the famous Pre-Grammy party hosted by Clive Davis in Beverly Hills. He was there with his husband, Tim Malone, who is 41 years old.

Lemon received a big round of applause when the host, Davis, announced his name during the party.

Almost everyone at the Beverly Hilton – the same place Don Lemon had supposedly been arrested just a few days before – stood and applauded as he rose and silently thanked them.

Lemon posted a video of the event on Instagram, describing it as ‘amazing’ and thanking everyone for their support.

The journalist wrote in the caption, ‘Thank you, Clive Davis, for hosting us and making us feel so welcome! We really appreciate your support.’

Lemon expressed his gratitude in the comments, saying, ‘Thank you for all the support – it really means a lot to me right now!’

Even with his ongoing legal issues, Anderson Cooper was photographed looking cheerful and fashionable at Clive Davis’s Pre-Grammy party, sporting a sharp all-black ensemble.

He chatted with celebrities like rapper Busta Rhymes and took pictures with his husband, Malone.

Robert Lemon, 59, was arrested in Los Angeles and formally accused on Friday of working with others to violate the religious rights of people in a church and disrupting their worship.

He was charged after joining a protest on January 18th that disrupted a church service at Cities Church in St. Paul.

Protesters focused their attention on Pastor David Easterwood, who is also said to be an agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Lemon maintains he was simply covering the protest as a reporter, despite being present. Another journalist, Georgia Fort, also faced charges for being there.

Lemon was released without bond after the initial court hearings on Friday.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve been following this case closely. During his brief court appearance, while Mr. Lemon didn’t officially state how he’d plead, his lawyer, Marilyn Bednarski, informed the court that he’ll be entering a not-guilty plea. It was a quick proceeding, but that’s the key takeaway.

Bednarski told the court that his client intends to vigorously defend himself and won’t be surrendering. This statement came after prosecutors requested a $100,000 bail for Lemon, who was arrested Thursday in Beverly Hills and had spent the night in custody.

The prosecutors requested that the judge require Lemon, who is currently in Los Angeles for the Grammy Awards, to turn in his passport and limit his travel only to New York, where he resides, and Minnesota.

Let me tell you, what happened is incredibly serious – a full-blown felony, according to the lead attorney, Alexander Robbins. The courtroom was packed, with even LA Mayor Karen Bass present. It was a really emotional scene, and I saw Lemon actually blow a kiss to her husband, Tim Malone, who was there supporting her.

Bednarski argued that limiting his travel as an international journalist wouldn’t be right.

He poses no risk of fleeing and isn’t dangerous in any way. He has a clean criminal record and has worked as a journalist since graduating from journalism school in 1996 – it’s his profession.

Judge Donahue decided not to set bail for Lemon, despite the prosecution asking for $100,000. Instead, Lemon was released with a promise to appear in court.

She also allowed him to proceed with his scheduled sailing trip to France in June, but only if it doesn’t conflict with any future court dates in Minnesota, where his next hearing is set for February 9th.

The judge also ordered Lemon to ‘have no contact with victims or witnesses’ in his case.

The White House mocked Lemon after his arrest.

The official Trump administration account posted a black and white photo of Kanye West inside a church with the caption, ‘When life gives you lemons…’

The event was recorded during a show on January 18th at the Cities Church in St. Paul. Protesters demonstrated against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) because the church’s pastor, David Easterwood, also heads the local ICE office.

Protesters screamed and harassed worshippers during the incident, which sparked nationwide fury.

I watched the video from inside the church, and it was pretty intense. Lemon got into a heated argument with the pastor, who clearly thought his behavior was completely inappropriate and just called him out on it – said it was ‘shameless,’ actually. It was a tough scene to watch.

Lemon argued that his actions were protected by the First Amendment, telling the pastor, ‘The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and the right to assemble and protest.’

On Monday afternoon, he told Jennifer Welch on her ‘I’ve Had It’ podcast that he believed he was the most well-known person participating in the protest against ICE.

I realized I became the public face of the situation, even though I started as a journalist,” Lemon explained to Welch. “Looking back, I understand why – I was the most well-known person involved.

The journalist then revealed what his producers told him after noticing the attention his work had generated.

This morning, I was talking with my producers, and I asked them how I ended up becoming so well-known for this particular issue. They pointed out that I’m a Black, gay man in America, and that likely played a significant role.

Lemon explained that, as a prominent figure, he expected to be targeted and that criticism of him would be sensationalized to appeal to a prejudiced audience, specifically referencing Nicki Minaj and her followers as an example of that base.

Several days after the incident, Lemon was formally accused by a Minnesota grand jury of conspiring to violate someone’s civil rights and breaking the Freedom Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, a law that prevents obstructing access to places of worship.

Don Lemon, who lost his job at CNN in 2023, has stated he wasn’t working with the group that entered the church. He says he was there simply as a journalist, reporting on the protests.

On January 22nd, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrests of Nekima Levy Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, in addition to the arrest of Lemon.

FBI Director Kash Patel later said that a third protester, William Kelly, had also been detained.

According to a source who spoke with the Daily Mail, CNN anchor Don Lemon was seen in handcuffs surrounded by FBI and Homeland Security agents. The source said he appeared upset.

According to someone with knowledge of the case, prosecutors worried that bringing charges against Lemon would give him unwanted positive attention, which was a concern for them.

According to a source, he plans to write a book and portray himself as someone who has suffered for his beliefs. However, doing nothing to address the disruption also sends the wrong message – that interfering with church services is acceptable. The source believes authorities need to firmly stop this behavior and uphold the law.

Lemon started his journalism career as a weekend news anchor in Birmingham, Alabama. He later worked at news stations in both Pennsylvania and Missouri before continuing his career.

He started at NBC News in 2003, working there for three years before moving to CNN in 2006. He spent eight years at CNN and in 2014, became the anchor for CNN Tonight, a position he held until he was let go in 2023.

This year has been a big one for me! I finally launched ‘The Don Lemon Show’ as a podcast and on YouTube, which I’m incredibly excited about. On a personal note, I also married my wonderful partner, Tim Malone, who’s a fantastic real estate agent. It feels amazing to share both my professional and personal life with all of you.

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2026-02-02 03:25