(JustPatriots.com)- The man who brought a lawsuit against CNN host Don Lemon alleging that Lemon assaulted him at a Sag Harbor bar three years ago has dropped the suit.
In a statement this week, Dustin Hice announced that after a deep dive into his memories, he was dropping his lawsuit, saying that he came to the realization that his “recollection of the events” on the night in question was “not what I thought they were when I filed this lawsuit.”
Though, it’s more likely Dustin Hice was able to read the writing on the wall and knew he would lose. But who’s going to admit that?
Hice, who initially filed the suit in August 2019, claimed that in their encounter, Lemon had shoved his hands into his own pants, rubbed his private parts, then shuck his fingers into Hice’s face. Hice accused Lemon of a pattern of “aggression and hostility.”
In an appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show last November, Hice suggested Lemon’s behavior toward him could be part of a pattern.
But the fact is, Hice’s lawsuit wasn’t going at all well for him.
Back in March, US Magistrate Judge Thomas Locke ruled that the plaintiff would have to pay Don Lemon $77,000 in attorney fees after Hice was accused of destroying or at least tampering with evidence as well as attempting to bribe witnesses.
Even with Hice dropping the case, that $77,000 fine will still have to be paid.
After Hice retracted his allegations, Caroline Polisi, Lemon’s attorney in the case, said in a statement that from its inception, Hice’s lawsuit was “a crass money grab.” Polisi said Lemon would remain silent on the issue “out of respect for the judicial process.”
Polisi said because Lemon is a “gay black man in the media,” he has been dealing with these kinds of attacks “for quite some time.” She added that he looks forward to “moving on with his life.”
