Ex-CNN regular Michael Avenatti's fall from stardom complete as he gets prison time for Nike extortion plot

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Media top headlines July 8

CNN scolding critics of critical race theory, Parler cheering on Trump's lawsuit against Big Tech, and the Washington Post giving the White House 'Three Pinnochios' for claim Republicans want to defund the police round out today's top media headlines

Former CNN mainstay Michael Avenatti won’t appear on the liberal network anytime soon after he was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison on Thursday after being found guilty of trying to extort Nike.

Avenatti gained national prominence by making frequent appearances on CNN in 2018 and 2019 as liberal journalists courted him for information about adult film star Stormy Daniels, who he represented in a lawsuit against then-President Trump.

CNN and other mainstream media outlets turned the now-disgraced lawyer into a quasi-star who was briefly a household name across America who even considered running for president.

Back in 2018, a Media Research Center study revealed that Avenatti appeared on CNN a whopping 74 times over a 10-week period, and the network’s in-house media critic Brian Stelter declared he was a legitimate threat to challenge Trump in the 2020 presidential election.

CNN’s Brian Stelter famously told Michael Avenatti on air in 2018, "One of the reasons why I'm taking you seriously as a [2020 presidential] contender is because of your presence on cable news."

"Looking ahead to 2020, one of the reasons why I'm taking you seriously as a [2020 presidential] contender is because of your presence on cable news," Stelter told Avenatti on-air.

AVENATTI LOSES BID FOR RELEASE FROM HOME DETENTION AS MULTIPLE TRIALS UNFOLD

At the height of Avenatti’s fame, he spent his rare time away from CNN’s greenroom partying with the network’s anchors while regularly appearing on late-night shows, MSNBC and "The View."

Juanita Scarlett, a former aide to Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic governor of New York and brother of CNN host Chris Cuomo, once tweeted --  and then deleted – a photo of herself with Avenatti and another CNN host, Don Lemon, who apparently hosted a bash at his posh Hamptons home.

It’s unclear how many other CNN personalities were at Lemon’s "Sag Harbor soiree," but it was clear Avenatti had a cozy relationship with the liberal network prior to his drastic fall from grace.

Michael Avenatti once attended a party at Don Lemon’s weekend home in the prestigious Hamptons area east of New York City, according to Juanita Scarlett. 

Avenatti’s time as a CNN regular ended when he was arrested in 2019.

"Obviously, I’m not taking him seriously anymore, but I own that comment. He showed a Trump-like mastery of the media last year," Stelter said about Avenatti’s presidential chances.

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Avenatti was convicted on charges that he tried to extort up to $25 million from the Beaverton, Oregon-based sportswear giant. He represented a Los Angeles youth basketball league organizer upset that Nike had ended its league sponsorship.

Avenatti also faces trials in Los Angeles later this year on fraud charges and a separate trial next year in New York City, where he is charged with cheating his former client — Daniels — of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.