Don Lemon gives CNN co-host Kaitlin Collins a VERY awkward air kiss

Don Lemon awkwardly gave his ‘CNN This Morning’ co-host Kaitlan Collins a bizarre ‘air kiss’ while wishing her a happy birthday on the air. 

The unwieldy interaction came months after Lemon, 57, reportedly berated Collins, 30, in front of colleagues and staffers for interrupting him on their morning show. 

Attempting to put their behind the scenes dust up behind them, Lemon approached Collins during Friday’s broadcast with flowers and presents. 

‘We know you hate this,’ he said, before halfheartedly singing the first seconds of the happy birthday song. ‘Do not open this, because it’s something that you told me that you wanted.’ 

He then wrapped one arm around Collins and grazed her cheek in an awkward embrace. 

The ‘This Morning’ hosts shared an awkward air kiss before Lemon 

The celebrations got even more difficult after co-host Popp Harlow crossed the desk and gave Collins a hug – which she returned, unlike with Lemon. 

‘Kaitlan put the kabash on the rest of these celebrations, it’s going to start at nine, but you’ll have to look at her Instagram,’ she said, before Lemon abruptly interrupted her as he repeatedly told Collins she will ‘love’ his gift to her. 

He also admitted that he also did not buy the gift himself, but had his partner Tim Malone pick it up while he visited the barbershop. 

Lemon added that he planned to wear a jersey for the University of Alabama football team under his suit for the broadcast, but he couldn’t find one.

‘We could not find it in Manhattan yesterday,’ Lemon said. ‘I was in the barbershop and Tim was, like, walking all around Manhattan trying to find it. We never found it.’

Lemon, right, and Collins, left, reportedly had a behind the scenes bust up in an argument about on air interruptions in December

The uncomfortable back and forth comes months after Lemon allegedly screamed at Collins after they got off the air because his co-host interrupted him. 

In December, Lemon’s tirade reportedly led Collins to run off the set in tears, while stunned crew members and colleagues watched on. 

CNN boss Chris Licht, who pledged to give CNN a makeover since taking over the outlet last year and then announced shocking layoffs, was supposedly stunned at the news and told Lemon to take the following day off to ‘cool off.’ 

A source told The Post that Lemon’s rant left Collins ‘visibly upset’.  

And soon after their fiery clash, Collins dropped her ‘superagent’ that she shared with Lemon amid the ongoing CNN drama.  

Lemon, left, has faced several awkward on and off-air moments in recent times

Lemon sparked fury in February after suggesting presidential candidate Nikki Haley was past her prime as a woman

The veteran broadcast host has faced several on air blunders in recent times, most notably his February outburst where he branded presidential candidate Nikki Haley ‘past her prime’. 

After Haley called for mental competency tests for elderly politicians, Lemon said the 2024 hopeful should tread lightly on the topic because ‘a woman is in their prime in 20s and 30s and maybe 40s.’

Lemon, who at 56 is five years older than Haley, 51, faced severe backlash for the comments. 

Weeks before, he also sparked outrage after asking a female co-host who stumbled on her words whether she had ‘mommy brain’.