"Justice for Don Lemon fr" - Internet reacts as Roy Wood Jr refuses Andy Cohen's Tequila shot over 'Black man's' firing on CNN

Roy Wood Jr has the internet speculating about his comment after he turned down a shot from Andy Cohen during the annual New Year's Eve show at Times Square on December 31. Wood Jr had joined Cohen and his co-host Anderson Cooper on the CNN comedy show Have I Got News for You on New Year's Eve to usher in 2025.

As per tradition, Cohen and Cooper took several shots of tequila during the show and offered Roy Wood Jr a shot when he appeared. However, the comedian seemingly left the hosts stunned after he refused the shot, commenting:

“Oh, no! No, I don’t. The last Black man that drank on this network got fired. I’m going to keep it with water for right now. I need some stability.”

Cooper and Cohen did not reply to Roy Wood Jr's comments and tried to divert their attention to another topic. However, several netizens were intrigued by Roy Wood Jr's remarks, wondering if it was a reference to CNN firing Don Lemon in 2023.

One person seemingly praised Roy Wood Jr for refusing the shot, tweeting:

"Justice for Don Lemon fr."

Many commented on the lack of reaction from either host:

"Clocked the tea so fierce Anderson had to switch subject," one person tweeted.

"The way no one laughed or reacted," another user added.

"Not Andy moving it along," someone else commented.

"Lmaooo they tried to speed past it," another person posted.

Others commended Roy Wood Jr for his comments, claiming he was telling the truth and keeping it real.

"Roy one of the realest in the game so I trust his judgment," one user commented.

"But did he lie?" another added.

"He's telling the truth and that's why the keep switching topics," someone else posted.

"Roy always keeps it real!" another person exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Roy Wood Jr reposted the clip of him refusing the shot on his X page, captioning it:

"Not gone catch me slippin in the Deuce-Five."

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Roy Wood Jr seemingly referenced Don Lemon's firing at the 2023 White House dinner

Don Lemon's departure from CNN came in April 2023 after he had worked with the network for 17 years. Lemon had hosted the prime-time show Don Lemon Tonight before he was shifted to the morning slot, hosting CNN This Morning since November 2022.

The host's divisive comments on air, including one claiming that politician Nikki Haley, 51 at the time, was not "in her prime," reportedly contributed to his firing. Lemon later apologized for his “inartful and irrelevant” comments on social media.

Lemon was also known for getting drunk at CNN's New Year's Eve shows, with one memorable incident leading to him piercing his ear on air in 2016. Following his public ouster, Lemon claimed on social media that he heard about his firing through his agent, while CNN maintained that they had "parted ways" with their former host.

“I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned after 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have the decency to tell me directly,” Lemon wrote at the time.

Roy Wood Jr, who had been invited to speak at the 2023 White House Correspondence Dinner, decided to add Don Lemon to the list of people to joke about in his speech. He referenced the contradictory views that CNN and Lemon held about his termination, saying:

"Don Lemon released a statement saying he got fired from CNN, then CNN released a statement saying they offered Don a meeting. They had to part ways because Don Lemon can't even accurately report a story about Don Lemon!"

However, Roy Wood Jr added that Lemon "deserved more" from CNN. He also jokingly claimed that the network made a "wrong move" by firing him so early when they could have used his scandal to increase their rating.

Don Lemon continues his commentary on social media via The Don Lemon Show. The journalist recently derided MAGA supporters over the H-1B visa row on X, calling them "f**king stupid."

According to The Independent, the video garnered immense backlash from Trump loyalists, with Fox News reporters lambasting Lemon for his remarks.