Don Lemon's Fiancé Had Their Two Dogs Do the Proposing for Him

Photo credit: Tasos Katopodis - Getty Images
Photo credit: Tasos Katopodis - Getty Images

From Oprah Magazine

Journalist Don Lemon, 53, has been lighting up the screen at CNN since 2006, mostly via his own primetime show, Tonight with Don Lemon.

The Baton Rouge-born TV personality and author is gearing up to serve as a moderator for the second round of Democratic primary debates on July 30 and 31 in Detroit. But before we tune in to see what this year’s candidates discuss, and how the moderators lead them through heavy topics, let’s take a moment to acknowledge the man who’s supported Lemon for years: husband Tim Malone, 35.

Don Lemon and Tim Malone became engaged in April.

Earlier this year, the couple made headlines when Lemon posted the sweet details of their engagement.

Barkley and Boomer—their recently rescued canines—were unwittingly sharing a message on behalf of one of their parents, Tim Malone, who was using the dogs to pop the question to his boyfriend of nearly three years. "How could I say no?" the CNN host captioned the photo below.

And while Lemon is a highly public figure, being welcomed into the homes of millions nightly, his fiancé is mega successful in his own right, having started in media before working his way to his current position as a real estate agent.


Tim Malone started his career in media.

Photo credit: Bruce Glikas - Getty Images
Photo credit: Bruce Glikas - Getty Images


Malone was born and raised three hours outside of New York City in nearby Water Mill, New York, which has been home to many Hollywood elite over the years including Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez. He attended nearby Southampton High School, graduating in 2002. And he went on to earn a Bachelor of Science from Boston College, studying history and journalism.

Upon graduation in 2006, Malone moved to New York City and immediately began working at NBC as a production assistant on the Today show, according to his LinkedIn. A year later, he made a shift at NBC Universal, moving over to the sales team of their USA and SyFy networks. He ended his tenure there in 2013, spending his last five years on the sales side of the Sports and Olympics division. He went on to work at Billboard as Director and later Executive Director of Brand Partnerships for three years before taking a brief stint as Executive Director of Jukin Media in 2017. In 2018, he made a career pivot to his present-day position, taking a job as a real estate agent at Corcoran Group—one of New York City’s premiere real estate companies.


The couple met in New York.

Photo credit: Dimitrios Kambouris - Getty Images
Photo credit: Dimitrios Kambouris - Getty Images


People reports that Malone and Lemon began dating in summer 2016, and they unforgettably shared a kiss during CNN’s live New Year’s Eve broadcast as they rang in 2018 at the Spotted Cat in New Orleans. While reports claimed that they met at that same bar a year earlier, Lemon tweeted, “Clarification. We did not meet at the bar. He was with me at the bar. We met in New York.”

They first went public with their relationship around April 2017 when Malone first popped up on Lemon’s Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

Party like it's 1999. #90sparty #90s

A post shared by Don Lemon (@donlemoncnn) on Apr 22, 2017 at 6:21pm PDT

Three months later, Lemon made his first appearance on Malone’s feed.

View this post on Instagram

Man overboard! @donlemoncnn #sunday #boating

A post shared by Tim Malone (@timpmalonenyc) on Jul 30, 2017 at 2:41pm PDT

A month after that, the two walked hand in hand at the 28th annual GLAAD Media Awards. And again, by New Year’s 2018, they were kissing on live television. “I love you, baby,” Lemon can be heard telling Malone.

Over a year later, the pair were engaged.


They post plenty of photos together on Instagram.

Since going public, these two haven’t stopped showing each other off, either at New York City galas, on vacation in the Bahamas, or even with former First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama.

Malone also tends to give us updates about life at home with Barkley and Boomer.

View this post on Instagram

We tried.

A post shared by Tim Malone (@timpmalonenyc) on Jul 21, 2019 at 3:24pm PDT


So when are they getting married?

Little is known about their upcoming nuptials, like when they plan to tie the knot or whether the event will take place in Water Mill (Malone’s hometown), Baton Rouge (Lemon’s birth place), New York City (the pair currently split their time between Sag Harbor and Harlem), or elsewhere.

“I’m just trying to enjoy this moment of bliss. And then, whenever we get married, we get married,” Lemon told People in April. “The advice I get from most people is: Don’t become obsessed with the ceremony or wedding planning — just enjoy it.” And judging from their Instagram adventures alone, they seem to be taking that advice in stride.


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