If you clicked on this after reading the headline and thinking there’s no way that actually happened, well, prepared to be surprised.
CNN talking head Don Lemon pressed a seriously troubling line of questioning during a Tuesday night interview with new Bill Cosby rape accuser Joan Tarshis. Earlier this week, Tarshis became the latest in a string of women to come forward alleging comedian Bill Cosby sexually assaulted them in the past. In a recent essay, Tarshis recounts numerous instances of alleged rape dating back to 1969.
She appeared on CNN Tuesday night to discuss her allegations with Lemon, who took the interview to a very strange place.
“I don’t mean to be crude, ok, because I know – and you said this last night – that you lied to him and said ‘I have an infection, and if you rape me, or if you have intercourse with me, then you will probably get it and give it to your wife.’ And you said he made you perform oral sex,” said Lemon.
“Right,” said Tarshis.
“You, you know – there are ways not to perform oral sex,” said Lemon.
“Um, I was kinda stoned at the time and quite honestly, that didn’t even enter my mind,” said Tarshis. “Now I wish It would have.”
“Right, meaning the using of the teeth, right,” Lemon asked, “as a weapon.”
“Yes – I didn’t even think of it,” said Tarshis.
“Yeah, biting,” said Lemon.
You can watch the interchange below:
As you might expect, this isn’t going over well.
CNN's Don Lemon. Geez. When will these guys change their attitudes about rape?
— Rakesh Agrawal (@rakeshlobster) November 19, 2014
"I had to ask." No you didn't. Victim-blaming is actually not a requirement when interviewing a survivor. #DonLemon
— Missy (@missykaybm) November 19, 2014
The Don Lemon Rape Defense Kit pic.twitter.com/SfhizlQEEJ #DonLemonReporting
— Harold Itzkowitz (@HaroldItz) November 19, 2014
What kind of self-loathing must @donlemon, an admitted abuse survivor, experience for him to ask another survivor why she didn't fight back?
— April (@ReignOfApril) November 19, 2014
It's time for Don Lemon to go.
— Scott Hanselman (@shanselman) November 19, 2014
No word from Don Lemon on what could have possibly motivated him to ask a woman why she didn’t bite Bill Cosby’s penis when she was (allegedly) raped at the age of 19.