Don Lemon, CNN anchor, has been accused of blaming one of Bill Cosby's alleged rape victims for her own assault after he asked her during a live interview why she didn't bite his penis after he drugged her.
"This was nationally televised victim-blaming, and it was bad journalism,"
wrote Jezebel on Wednesday.
"All of the best practices for journalists suggest not dwelling on details that look like hoisting responsibility for not being victimized onto the victim, and 'Why didn't you do something to stop your own rape?' is textbook victim blaming."
The exchange between Lemon and Cosby's fifth on-record accuser, Joan Tarshis, who says she was assaulted twice in 1969, began with the host recounting the details of the first incident.
"You lied to [Cosby] and said 'I have an infection, and if you rape me, or if you do — if you have intercourse with me, then you will probably get it and give it to your wife,'" said Lemon. "And you said he made you perform oral sex."
"Right," Tarshis replied.
"You — you know, there are ways not to perform oral sex if you didn't want to do it," Lemon said gingerly.
"Oh. Um, I was kind of stoned at the time, and quite honestly, that didn't even enter my mind. Now I wish it would have," said Tarshis, keeping her composure.
"Meaning the using of the teeth, right? . . . As a weapon . . . Biting," said Lemon.
"Ouch," said Tarshis. "No, it didn't cross my mind."
After the interview, many people began using the hashtag "#DonLemonReporting" on Twitter to highlight and criticize his conduct during the interview.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.