Why Don Lemon's New Book Doesn't Reveal More Details About His CNN Termination: 'I Was Being Protective' (Exclusive)

"I wanted to be careful about not coming off as angry or bitter or vengeful because that's not who I am," the author says

Don Lemon was ready to tell all about his experience at CNN, but decided against it.

The broadcast journalist’s latest book, I Once Was Lost, out on Sept. 10, takes readers behind the scenes of some of his biggest controversies during his tenure at the popular news channel. Lemon, 58, tells PEOPLE the only thing that kept him from spilling it all was his concern about the well-being of his former colleagues and how people would perceive him in the aftermath.

"I would have done more but I wanted to be careful about not coming off as angry or bitter or vengeful because that's not who I am," he says. "And also I wanted to be protective of my former colleagues who I love and who are some of the best journalists in the world."

Therefore, Lemon was cautious not to "name names" in his recounts – unless it revolved around an incident that played out on the air, like his misconstrued comments about Nikki Hayley’s age and his public spat with conservative pundit Vivek Ramaswamy.

"I just want people to understand my journey and what happened to me," the author explains. "Initially, I had more in there and I was more explicit, but then I realized less is more. That people will understand without me having to hand-hold them."

Lemon was with CNN for 17 years before being ousted in April 2023, shortly after the aforementioned incidents with Hayley and Ramaswamy, which was then followed by a damning report by Variety that detailed allegations of his misbehavior toward female colleagues — which the anchor has fervently denied.

"After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play," Lemon wrote in a statement after being fired.

He thanked his colleagues towards the end of the statement, writing, "They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best."

At the time of his termination, Lemon was hosting CNN This Morning with Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow, both of whom had nothing but kind words to say about him in their first broadcast since his exit, according to Deadline. "He was one of the first anchors on CNN to have me on his show. That’s something I’ll obviously never forget," Collins said. Harlow called him "one of my first friends here at CNN."

In the end, the author says the details he left out of his book came down to the admiration he has for those he worked with. "I was being protective of my former colleagues and dear friends because I think they have had enough drama," he tells PEOPLE. "I know they're going to prosper and do really well."

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The new book is a follow-up to the news anchor’s 2021 book This Is the Fire. In it, he discusses his religious upbringing in the deep South and his rise to acclaim as a television journalist, using his faith as a guiding point to tell his story.

Lemon says the important women in his life were at the forefront of his mind while penning his newest, too. "All of these women who have held me in their bosom and comforted me and have always had my back," he tells PEOPLE. "I wanted to make sure that they understood that I love them and that all the stuff that they were reading about me was not true [and make sure that the people who had supported me the most, which is women, especially Black women, knew that I had their backs."

I Once Was Lost by Don Lemon is available now, wherever books are sold.

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Read the original article on People.