CNN's Don Lemon Under Fire Questioning Bill Cosby Rape Accuser

CNN reporter Don Lemon is being sharply criticized after interviewing a woman Tuesday who said Bill Cosby raped her when she was 19, asking her why she didn't use her teeth to avoid performing oral sex on him, the Daily Mail reports.

Joan Tarshis says she was a teen when she was allegedly drugged and raped twice by Cosby in 1969. In the interview with CNN, news reporter Don Lemon, who is openly gay, told Tarshis there were things victims could do to avoid having to perform some sex acts on attackers.

"You know, there are ways not to perform oral sex if you didn't want to do it," Lemon said.

"I was kind of stoned at the time and, quite honestly, that didn't even enter my mind. Now I wish it would have," Tarshis said.

"Meaning the using of the teeth as a weapon, right?" Lemon asked. Tarshis said, "Yes."

"Biting," Lemon added.

Tarshis, who the Daily Mail says was "very uncomfortable," replies to Lemon with, "Ouch."

"Yes. I had to ask," he said.

The interview sparked Twitter outrage with many calling out Lemon's suggestion that a rape victim could avoid an attack.

"'@donlemon you deserve every minute of the bad day you are going to have tomorrow," one Twitter user wrote.

"You can stop bad things from going into your mouth! @donlemon, a man who cannot stop bad things from coming out of his mouth," another said.

"Don Lemon blaming protesters for police brutality in Ferguson and blaming rape victims for being raped. A big pro-oppression stance, I see," another said.

Lemon took to Twitter Wednesday and alerted his followers he would address the issue on CNN.

On his show, Lemon apologized for his comments, saying he did not mean to offend anyone and suggested victims could avoid attacks.