It’s been three years since Brooke Baldwin walked away from CNN Newsroom, the show that she helmed for years. Now, the former host is finally opening up about the real reasons behind her departure from the network after a 13-year run. In a candid essay for Vanity Fair published in April 2024, Baldwin revealed the challenges she faced with her executive producer and former CNN president, Jeff Zucker. Her story is one of resilience, self-discovery, and standing up for what’s right.
Who Is Brooke Baldwin?
Brooke Baldwin is more than just a name on your TV screen. She's a seasoned journalist, TV host, and author who carved out an impressive career at CNN from 2008 to 2021. Her journey into journalism began in 2001 at WVIR-TV in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she cut her teeth as a reporter. From there, she moved to WOWK-TV in West Virginia and later joined WTTG in Washington, D.C., anchoring their 10 p.m. newscast. Baldwin’s dedication to journalism earned her a spot at CNN, where she became the face of CNN Newsroom, hosting weekdays from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET.
During her time at CNN, Baldwin covered some of the most significant events of our time, including President Barack Obama’s second inauguration in 2013, the devastating 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, and President Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017. Her tenure at CNN wasn’t just about breaking news—it was about building trust with her audience. Baldwin announced her departure from CNN in February 2021, bringing an end to her 13-year run at the network.
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Why Did Brooke Baldwin Leave CNN?
Brooke Baldwin’s exit from CNN wasn’t the result of a simple decision—it was the culmination of years of frustration and a toxic work environment. In her powerful essay for Vanity Fair published on April 23, 2024, Baldwin pulled back the curtain on what really happened behind the scenes. She explained that the trouble began when she moved from CNN’s Atlanta headquarters to New York City in 2014. This move created a long-distance working relationship with her team, which was still based in Atlanta.
“My producer made me feel as though I couldn’t conduct heavy-hitting interviews without him,” Baldwin wrote. “Or, maybe, I allowed him to make me feel that way. It was like gaslighting—manipulation and bullying at its finest.” Baldwin revealed that her producer would go silent if she missed one of his emails, sometimes refusing to communicate with her except through the teleprompter instead of her earpiece. Despite this, Baldwin tried to maintain her "good girl" image and endured the behavior for years.
It wasn’t until after Donald Trump’s election as president that Baldwin decided she couldn’t stay silent any longer. “I got curious about the legions of women who, as a direct result of that election, finally decided to speak up,” she wrote. In November 2019, Baldwin took the bold step of walking into her boss’s office and requesting that her producer be moved to another team. She wasn’t asking for punishment—just a fresh start. But her request was denied, marking the beginning of the end for her at CNN.
Baldwin recounted how she was pulled off the air for two months with little explanation and then returned to find her show cut in half. By January 2021, her agent informed her that she was being pushed out of the network. “Jeff wanted me out,” Baldwin claimed. “No explanation. Just out. From that moment on, after I’d spent 13 years at CNN, Jeff never spoke to me again.”
Baldwin reached out to her former producer and Zucker before publishing her essay. “Jeff’s publicist responded by saying ‘he wishes you all the best,’” she wrote. “My old producer never responded.”
Where Is Brooke Baldwin Now?
After her departure from CNN, Baldwin didn’t waste any time finding her next chapter. In the same month she left, she published her first book, Huddle: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power, which features interviews with powerhouse women like Ava DuVernay, Stacey Abrams, and Gloria Steinem. Baldwin’s book is a testament to her belief in the strength of women coming together and supporting one another.
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In December 2023, Netflix announced that Baldwin would host the reality show The Trust: A Game of Greed, where strangers are given a quarter of a million dollars and must decide whether to share it or vote each other out to keep more for themselves. It’s a show that challenges human nature and explores themes of trust and greed.
