Don Lemon Steps Out in the Hamptons with Silver Beard After Keeping a Low Profile Following CNN Exit

Lemon was all smiles while out for a walk recently

Don Lemon has a reason to smile!

On Monday, Lemon, 57, was spotted grinning from ear to ear as he headed to lunch in the Hamptons. The journalist sported a blue button-down, white pants, and black shoes. He wore glasses and a backpack.

His graying beard was on full display as he carried what appeared to be a Navy blue jacket on his arm.

Lemon has kept a relatively low profile since he said he was allegedly fired from CNN after 17 years with the company. In his first public appearance since his exit, the longtime anchor revealed what was next for his career while attending the Time 100 Gala in New York.

"You guys are more worried about me than I am," he told Extra on the red carpet in April.

He continued: "Life goes on. That's behind me, and we'll see what happens in the future. I live my life with no regrets and whatever I did, I did, I owned. I don't look back and don't want to change things in the past ... Onward."

Related: Don Lemon Reveals Future Plans in First Public Appearance Since CNN Exit: 'Excited for a New Chapter'

Per Extra, Lemon is "excited for a new chapter," telling the outlet, "I think life is short, and whatever life hands you, you have to bob and weave and do it."

He went on to explain that he’s overcome a handful of obstacles in his lifetime.

"I didn't think I would be at work one evening and get a phone call that my sister had died, but I had to deal with that. I didn't think that my dad would die young of diabetes… So there are lots of things that come your way that are unexpected, but I'm a survivor.

"I come from strong, sturdy stock in Louisiana, and a lot of people are rooting for me and who love me."

The former CNN This Morning co-host said he wasn’t in a hurry to return to work. Lemon explained that he wanted to use the time to focus on his personal life and happiness.

Related: Don Lemon, Tucker Carlson Hire Same Lawyer Who Represented Chris Cuomo and Megyn Kelly After Their Firings

"I'm gonna spend my summer on the beach and on the boat, and with my family,” he said at the time. “Just chill out and then I'll see what happens next, but I'm fortunate enough to be in a position where I can do that."

"I have time. I don't have to rush to another job, even if I want another job," he said.

On April 24, Lemon shared a statement on Twitter, claiming his agent informed him that he had been terminated from the network. "After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly," he tweeted.

However, CNN refuted Lemon’s claims, suggesting that is not how the situation played out.

"Don Lemon's statement about this morning's events is inaccurate," CNN Communications tweeted. "He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter."

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Two days after his exit, the Emmy Award-winning journalist hired Los Angeles-based attorney Bryan Freedman, which The Washington Post describes as "a combative litigator who specializes in enforcing contracts for ousted media personalities." Freedman previously represented Chris Cuomo and Megyn Kelly after their own high-profile exits.

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