ENTERTAINMENTShocking Departure: Poppy Harlow Exits CNN After Endless Drama and Show Cancelation
Poppy Harlow and CNN are parting ways.
The news was announced on Friday, April 26, with the broadcaster sending an email to her colleagues.
"Mark, Amy and the CNN management team have been wonderful and have given me the space to make this decision. I am very grateful to them," she wrote. "CNN gave me the opportunity to travel across this country and around the world — often at the worst of times, but when humanity also shows the best of itself."
Poppy Harlow has left CNN.
"There’s been plenty written about what’s wrong with journalism, and the challenges our industry faces. And it does. But there is also so much right with it," Harlow, 41, continued. "At the heart of everything we do is the pursuit of truth – it is the core of CNN. I remain CNN’s biggest fan and I’ll be watching and cheering you on every day."
The star first joined the network in 2008.
An insider stated it was the journalist's decision to leave.
Harlow began hosting CNN This Morning with Don Lemon and Kaitlan Collins in 2022, but after Lemon was fired due to drama with executives and Collins was moved to another show, Harlow worked alongside Phil Mattingly.
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At the time, Lemon claimed he was blindsided by the decision, which lead to a struggle with his mental health.
Earlier this year, CNN This Morning was canceled.
She was first appointed the gig by Chris Licht, who took over as the network CEO to try and revamp the struggling company. However, he left the position after just 13 months. In August 2023, Mark Thompson was given the job.
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Harlow had multiple co-hosts on 'CNN This Morning.'
Harlow had been with CNN since 2008, and the TV personality said she will now focus on family life as she moves forward.
"For now, my plan is to walk our children to school and pick them up (hopefully they won’t get sick of me!), and to support the evolution of journalism in every way I can, while preserving the human(ity) in it," she wrote in her email.
The star insisted there are no hard feelings, concluding, "I’m excited for what is ahead — and I will be rooting for CNN always."
Harlow and husband Sinisa Babcic share two kids.
Thompson and his colleagues had only nice things to say about the mom-of-two.
"Poppy is a unique talent who combines formidable reporting and interviewing prowess with a human touch that audiences have always responded to," he shared in reaction to her news. "She’s been a wonderful colleague at CNN, and we know she will have much success in her future endeavors."
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The network has been plagued by trouble over the past few years, from sinking ratings to dealing with their controversial stars, such as Chris Cuomo, who was fired in 2021 due to assisting in defending his brother Andrew Cuomo's sexual harassment allegations.
The Hollywood Reporter shared Harlow's departure email.
