10:16 AM PT -- A statement from CNN disputes Don's claim he was blindsided, "Don Lemon's statement about this morning's events is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter."
Don Lemon is out at CNN, after 17 years at the network, a move he says he was never given any heads-up was happening.
In a statement Monday, Lemon said, "I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly."
He continues, "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."
Finally saying, "With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best."
Don was on air Monday morning, without a hint that anything might be off, and ending his show with the words, "Bye, everyone."
The move comes just 2 months after Lemon was benched briefly for sexist comments he made about Nikki Haley, when he said she was no longer "in her prime" at age 51.
He was also recently caught on a hot mic making comments about Jon Stewart ... however, it seemed those incidents had both cooled off with the network.
Unclear if there was something more happening behind the scenes.
We covered it all in the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.