L'Tanya 'Leisa' Lemon Grimes, CNN Anchor Don Lemon's Sister, Dies At 58 In Accidental Drowning
The Lemon/Grimes family are in mourning following the death of L'Tanya "Leisa" Lemon Grimes, the sister of CNN anchor Don Lemon, from drowning on Wednesday.
No Foul Play
Officers were called to identify the body of an unidentified woman off Iberia Drive in the Livingston Trace subdivision, south of the Juban Road exit on I-12 on Wednesday. They arrived at the scene at around 4 p.m. Christal Jones, the spokeswoman for CNN, later confirmed that the body belonged to Lemon's sister.
Officers at the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office confirmed on Thursday that there was no foul play involved in the death of the 58-year-old Grimes. The police ruled the cause of death as accidental drowning. She reportedly died after she tripped and fell into the water while fishing in the neighborhood pond in Denham Springs, Louisiana.
The Lemon/Grimes family has since released a statement asking for privacy in this time of mourning. They also thanked those who expressed their condolences.
"The Lemon/Grimes family would like to thank everyone for their condolences and prayers at this time. Our family has suffered the tragic loss of L'Tanya "Leisa" Lemon Grimes and we are leaning on each other for strength at this time. We appreciate privacy as we grieve the loss of our loved one," reads the statement.
Lemon's Response
Lemon has also sent a message in response to Grimes's death on his Twitter. He added a photo of his sister to his tweet.
Thanks everyone for your words of sympathy. Please keep my family in your prayers. Leisa was my oldest sister & partner in crime growing up. Always had my back. #RIPbigSis pic.twitter.com/9k1IVtqukQ
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) February 1, 2018
Lemon's friends and colleagues have also expressed their sympathy to the Lemon/Grimes family.
"So sorry for your loss. Sending love," Savannah Guthrie, NBC news anchor, tweeted.
"Oh no! I am so sorry for your loss,@donlemon. Please know you have a strong circle of folks upon whom you can lean today and always," Valerie Jarrett, civic leader and Senior Advisor to former U.S. President Barack Obama, replied to Lemon's tweet.
Lemon has taken a leave of absence from work to return to New Orleans and be with his family in this time of sorrow. He will not appear on the cable news network Thursday evening for his prime-time show CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. The network has yet to announce what they would air instead.
