Entertainment
JUST IN: Longtime CNN Star Quits The Network, Issues Parting Shot
CNN is losing one of its longest-serving anchors as Christiane Amanpour announces her departure after 43 years with the network.
The chief international anchor, 68, is heading for the exit as CNN prepares for a takeover by Trump ally David Ellison. Her announcement included a message about preserving the network’s journalistic independence, though she did not mention the incoming owners.
“After many months of thought and a few sleepless nights, I have decided to separate from CNN, my partner of 43 fantastic years!” Amanpour said.
CNN Chairman Mark Thompson told employees he had been discussing the move with Amanpour for months.
“Christiane has thought carefully about this decision, and she and I have been discussing it for some months,” Thompson wrote in a memo.
“Like so many CNNers who will hear the news today, I’m very sorry to see her go, but I’ve come to accept that this is the right time for her, both personally and professionally.”
Amanpour said she “looks forward to interesting new projects down the line, and will always be rooting for CNN and maintaining its history of independent journalism. Remember: always be truthful, not neutral.”
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Her departure announcement follows that of CNN contributor Kara Swisher, who said a month earlier that she was leaving after approval of the $100 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery, led by David Ellison and his father, Larry Ellison.
Swisher’s contract runs through the end of the year. She made her feelings about the Ellisons clear.
“I have been very explicit … I think they are terrible media owners.”
The father and son are allies and financial supporters of President Donald Trump. The impending takeover has drawn criticism from some CNN staffers.
Amanpour did not discuss her health in her announcement. She was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer in 2021 and underwent surgery and chemotherapy.
