Jason Lee, the media entrepreneur and founder of gossip outlet Hollywood Unlocked, is speaking out after being removed as vice mayor of Stockton, California, accusing fellow city officials of using racial “dog whistles” as part of a political power play to push him out.

Lee’s rise in Stockton politics was swift. He was elected to the Stockton City Council representing District 6 in November 2024, and in January 2025 Mayor Christina Fugazi appointed him to the vice mayor role, with his term scheduled to end this December. Because the vice mayorship is an appointed leadership title rather than a separately elected office, a council majority can strip the role by vote — a mechanism that became central to how this dispute played out. That arrangement unraveled this week amid mounting tensions between city leaders.

Mayor Fugazi and other officials have accused Lee of turning City Hall into a “reality show,” sensationalizing municipal issues and promoting his positions on social media to drive online engagement. The standoff reflects a broader fault line in local government, where officials with large independent media platforms can challenge institutional leadership in council chambers and in front of online audiences at the same time.

Lee addressed his removal in an exclusive interview with Don Lemon, pushing back against claims that he used his position as vice mayor to heighten his existing platform.

“The terminology was really interesting because she said I’m ‘pimping out’ Stockton,” Lee said. “And this has been something that me and my team, my attorneys, have been calling out from day one. That this racial tropian of putting out these messages of pimping or talking in a way that they’re not used to — what they want me to do is to fall in line. And I’m not going to. I’ve been calling out hypocrisy; I’ve been calling out bad governance. I’ve been calling out fraud, waste, and abuse. I told them all at the last council meeting, ‘You all are going to go to jail.’ I continued to tell them, and to remind them, that we took an oath to be honest. And it’s been something that they have failed to accept because I’m not talking like a politician. Because I won’t fall in line and go along to get along. They have a problem with that. And I’m not going to.”

Lee also rejected any suggestion that he sought the office for financial gain. “I get likes, clicks, views, money outside of Stockton politicians,” he said. “This position is $33,000 a year. Don, it’s not a money-making job. I didn’t go back for the money. I went back to change my community.”

Lee, whose Hollywood Unlocked rose to national prominence for breaking the Khloé Kardashian–Jordyn Woods–Tristan Thompson cheating scandal, was stripped of his leadership title this week after the Stockton City Council voted 4-2 to remove him from the position — a move that costs him the title but leaves his District 6 council seat in place. Known for his substantial social media following and high-profile celebrity friendships — including with Rihanna — Lee was also ousted from the city’s powerful Audit Committee in a separate 6-1 vote, casting the lone “no” ballot.

Lee later claimed on social media that he had resigned, though reports indicate otherwise. According to The New York Post, the decision unfolded during a tense City Council meeting in which Lee offered to step down before his colleagues could formally remove him. After a motion to accept his resignation failed on a 4-3 vote, Mayor Fugazi introduced a separate motion to oust him.

Since taking office, Lee has faced resistance from established political figures in the area, with critics questioning his motives and characterizing his work as controversial. His clashes with colleagues have included disputes with law enforcement over records handling, as well as scrutiny over city payments for a comedy show featuring the media personality. Critics have questioned the use of public funds for the event, with some dismissing it as a spectacle fueled by Lee’s celebrity connections. With Lee still holding his District 6 seat and the vice mayor term set to expire in December, the split leaves open questions about whether the council takes further action — and how city business proceeds with one of its most visible members openly at odds with its leadership.