Don Lemon is taking some time to better himself.
According to TMZ, the CNN anchor has pulled out of an upcoming Black History Month event he was set to moderate in New York on Tuesday night.
READ MORE: CNN’s Don Lemon Regrets Saying Nikki Haley Past Her ‘Prime’
The move backing out of the “Agents of Change” panel comes as Lemon has faced sharp criticism over sexist comments he made during a discussion on “CNN This Morning” about Republican U.S. presidential candidate Nikki Haley.
Lemon had said that Haley, at 51-years-old, was not “in her prime,” explaining that he considered a woman to be in her prime “in her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s.”
When pressed on the comments during the conversation by co-host Poppy Harlow, Lemon responded, “Don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just saying what the facts are.”
Sources told TMZ that Lemon pulled out of the scheduled event that he had agreed with the event coordinators at Douglas Elliman that the controversy would overshadow the panel.
Lemon is being replaced as moderator by Elliman real estate broker John Gomes.
READ MORE: Don Lemon Will Not Anchor ‘CNN This Morning’ On Monday Following Controversial Nikki Haley Remarks
Following his on-air comments last Thursday, the news anchor apologized publicly, stating, “When I make a mistake, I own it. And I own this one as well.”
Though he was absent from the morning show since the remarks, CNN network CEO Chris Licht told staff in an email Monday night that he would be returning on Wednesday.
“I sat down with Don and had a frank and meaningful conversation. He has agreed to participate in formal training, as well as continuing to listen and learn. We take this situation very seriously,” Licht wrote in the memo, CNN Business reported.
During an editorial call on Friday, Light had called Lemon’s remarks about women “upsetting, unacceptable and unfair” and a “huge distraction.”
