Busta Rhymes Shows Support for Don Lemon at Pre-Grammys Party Before His Arrest: ‘We Should Stand by Don’

Busta Rhymes and Don Lemon at a pre-Grammys party on the night of Lemon’s arrest.
Credit :

Johnny Nunez/Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Don Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on Jan. 29 after attending a pre-Grammys party.
• The former CNN anchor was detained for participating in a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Jan. 18.
• At the pre-Grammys event, rapper Busta Rhymes praised Lemon for “doing his job,” stating, “We need to protect Don at all costs.”

Don Lemon was arrested in Los Angeles on January 29, mere hours after attending a star-studded party in anticipation of the Grammy Awards. Lemon, now an independent journalist, was detained by more than 20 federal agents for his alleged involvement in a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, that took place on January 18. During this demonstration, he recorded himself and others interrupting a religious service, chanting, “ICE out” in opposition to immigration enforcement.

The FBI confirmed Lemon’s arrest, indicating that he was taken into custody at approximately midnight in Beverly Hills based on a federal warrant from another district. Earlier that evening, Lemon was seen mingling with prominent musical figures at the 2026 Recording Academy Honors, hosted by The Black Music Collective, at the Fairmont Century Plaza.

Busta Rhymes and Don Lemon attend the 2026 Recording Academy Honors presented by The Black Music Collective on Jan. 29, 2026.

Johnny Nunez/Getty

In footage shared by The Shade Room, Busta Rhymes publicly commended Lemon’s activism and pledged to support him for “doing his job.” “I’m proud of Don. We proud of Don,” Rhymes expressed. “We gonna advocate for Don. We need to protect Don at all costs, for doing his job, in the divine alignment way. We salute him for that.”

Just hours after the celebration, Lemon found himself in custody, facing charges under the FACE Act, a federal law that safeguards the right of individuals to attend services at religious establishments. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, reaffirmed Lemon’s assertion that he entered the church solely in his capacity as a journalist covering the events of the protest.

“Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” the statement read. It added, “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work.”

Trump’s Attorney General, Pam Bondi, confirmed Lemon’s arrest along with that of three others in a social media video posted on Friday. “Make no mistake: Under President Trump’s leadership, and this administration, you have the right to worship freely and safely,” she declared. “And if I haven’t been clear already, if you violate that sacred right? We are coming after you.”

According to The New York Times, federal prosecutors initially aimed to charge eight individuals connected to the protest, including Lemon. However, a magistrate judge reviewed the evidence and permitted charges against only three, dismissing the claims against Lemon and four others as insufficient. The Justice Department later sought to compel the magistrate judge to issue additional arrest warrants for Lemon, but that request was denied.

Lemon previously addressed the church protest in a video statement, asserting, “Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church, and members of the organization. That’s it. That’s called journalism.”