What did Kanye say about Don Lemon? Latter claps back, shades rapper for being a part of the MAGA cult

Rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur Kanye West posted an Instagram post on February 3, 2025, claiming that TV journalist Don Lemon began the “rumor” that he and his wife Bianca Censori were removed from the Grammys red carpet.

Sharing a smiling picture of Lemon in the now-deleted post, Ye wrote in the caption:

“This the goofball that started the rumor that me and my wife got kicked out the Grammies. 3 decades of innovating music and they always KOONS like this.”

Recently, a rumor circulated online that the couple was kicked out of the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night because they were "uninvited" and because of Bianca’s alleged revealing look. However, West and Censori reportedly walked the red carpet and left of their own will.

Not only that, but Don Lemon seemingly had nothing to do with the rumor. He appeared on Instagram and shared a video message responding to Kanye’s allegation.

“First of all, Kanye… Ye, whatever your name is. I did not start a rumor about you being kicked out of the Grammys. I actually corrected it. I saw someone on your team who asked me to correct it because it had been reported everywhere,” he shared on Monday.

“Get your sh*t straight. You, of all people, calling me a coon? … That ‘Make America Great Again’ hat must be too tight on your head.”

This was a reference to Ye sporting Donald Trump’s MAGA hat during a September 2018 appearance on Saturday Night Live and later repeating it during his meeting with the President at the White House during his debut term.

In a follow-up post, the 58-year-old journalist also shared that he appreciated Ye taking down his post and the rapper’s team contacting him regarding the same. However, he warned West not to call him a “coon” ever again and not to come for him “unless I send for you.”

---

Exploring Kanye’s Grammys rumor amid Don Lemon's connection

The 2025 Grammy Awards was held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 2, 2025. On its red carpet, CNN's Don Lemon interviewed Ye and Bianca Censori.

“Kanye, when is ‘Bully’ gonna come out?” the journalist asked, alluding to West’s upcoming album.

In response, the rapper corrected him and said, “Ye. I changed my name to Ye,” before answering Lemon’s question, “Soon, this year, though.” Don Lemon further asked:

“Kanye, the number one artist you want to put on right now?”

However, Ye didn’t offer a proper reply. He stated, “Give me a second. I’m focused.”

Subsequently, Ye allegedly told his team he didn’t want to do more interviews on the Grammys night. Don Lemon shared his encounter later that night via an Instagram post, captioned, “No interviews from @ye at The Grammys tonight.”

Meanwhile, Bianca Censori made headlines after she removed her black coat to show off her sheer minidress paired with transparent flip-flop heels. At first, she posed with her back to the cameras before revealing her front side.

Since the image and video of this moment went viral, a rumor emerged that she and Kanye were removed from the Grammys. Media outlets like Entertainment Tonight even reported the same on Sunday night.

At first, ET cited that the pair and their team were seemingly kicked out as they were “uninvited.” Subsequently, the publication shared:

“Kanye walked the red carpet with Bianca, who appeared to be fully naked under her fur coat. ET was told that the couple was then escorted out of the awards show.”

Both Instagram posts were later taken down. In a follow-up post that has now been removed, ET confirmed with Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. that the Yeezy founder and his wife were invited but “instead wanted to only walk the carpet and leave.”

Notably, Don Lemon shared from the red carpet that he was “hearing that Kanye wanted to do the red carpet, that he wasn’t invited — that’s what I’m hearing from the folks here at the Grammys.” The reporter added, “And then he left, maybe he was escorted out.”

“That’s what folks are saying, but I’m not sure. I think maybe he just wanted to do the carpet, but he definitely is gone. I may be the only person who interviewed him, by the way,” Lemon mentioned.

However, later, he shared a video message on Instagram clarifying that Kanye and Bianca were neither uninvited nor asked to leave the Grammys. He explained that a spokesperson from Ye's team confirmed the same to him.

Likewise, another source told Us Weekly that the pair seemingly exited the event “on their own accord” after posing on the red carpet and “just got in their car and left.”

---

At this year’s Grammys, Ye was nominated for Best Rap Song for his 2024 hit track Carnival. However, he lost to Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us.