Comedian Roy Wood Jr. appeared to be referring to a former CNN anchor’s tumultuous departure from the network when he refused a shot of tequila during his New Year’s Eve show on Tuesday, December 31.

Wood Jr. was joined by his CNN co-stars Do I have news for you? Comedy panel show continues New Year’s Eve Livehosted by Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper.

As has become tradition, Cooper and Cohen drank a number of glasses of alcohol throughout the evening. Cohen pulled out a bottle of tequila and offered it to Wood Jr., Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black as they appeared in a segment on Tuesday.

“Oh no!” Wood Jr., 46, said as Cohen, 56, offered the shot. “No, I don’t. The last black man who drank on this network was fired. I’ll keep it with water for now. I need some stability.”

Cohen and Cooper, 57, did not respond to Wood Jr.’s comment, with the former instead asking Black if he was livestreaming on his Instagram.

Wood Jr. later shared the footage of the moment again

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Wood Jr. was apparently referring to the 2023 firing of longtime CNN anchor Don Lemon, who often appeared as a correspondent New Year’s Eve Live show. Lemon was fired after 17 years at the network following several controversial comments and tense interviews. Ultimately, Lemon and CNN reportedly reached a $24.5 million separation agreement in 2024.

In an interview with PEOPLE reflecting on his ouster last March, Lemon said: “Do I wish my exit from CNN had been different? Absolutely, but it is what it is and I can’t go back and change the past. I don’t have a time machine.

Cohen and Cooper’s drinking has been a popular part of CNN’s New Year’s coverage for years, although they didn’t start the liquid celebration trend. In 2016, Lemon got his ear pierced at a bar in New Orleans while live on air during the New Year’s Eve special.

However, after Cohen made some controversial comments in 2021, the show was hit with an alcohol ban.

In 2023, the network backed down on banning alcohol consumption and Cohen and Cooper returned to injecting “responsibly.”

Wood Jr. did not confirm Tuesday who he was referring to, and CNN has not publicly responded to the remark.