Don Lemon is framing this as a lucky escape — a close call that could have been much worse. His team would likely emphasize his survival instinct and the fortunate timing that kept him out of harm's way.
The real tea? Don's had an absolutely brutal year. He's still drowning in legal trouble from his arrest during that anti-ICE protest in Minnesota, and now he's casually revealing he almost walked into an actual shooting. The universe seems to be testing this man.
Don was supposed to visit a friend near Rihanna's home the night of the shooting. He cancelled because of L.A. Marathon complications. His friend's house was actually damaged in the incident. The interview took place at the 12th Annual Better Brothers Los Angeles Truth Awards on March 21, 2026.
Don Lemon just can't catch a break — but this time, at least he walked away alive. One has to wonder what else could possibly go wrong for the guy.
Don Lemon is opening up about a terrifying close call that could've ended far worse. The journalist revealed to TMZ that he was supposed to be in Rihanna's neighborhood the night a shooting was reported at her house — and he's still processing how lucky he got.
We caught up with Don at the 12th Annual Better Brothers Los Angeles Truth Awards on Saturday, where he told us exactly how close he came to getting caught in the line of fire earlier this month. According to Lemon, he has a friend who lives near Rihanna's home and was planning to visit her that night — but he opted not to go because of complications caused by the L.A. Marathon. And thank goodness he did, because his friend's house was actually damaged in the shooting incident.
Talk about a near-miss with deadly consequences. If the marathon hadn't caused those complications, Don could've been right in the middle of what turned out to be a dangerous situation. His friend's home taking damage proves just how close the bullets flew that night.
But let's be real — it's about time Don caught some kind of break. He's still dealing with the legal fallout from his arrest for covering an anti-ICE protest in Minnesota, and the charges aren't going away anytime soon. The man has been through the wringer this year, and now he's revealing he almost walked into an actual shooting. At this point, Don Lemon must feel like he's living in a action movie where the danger just won't stop.
