Brooke Baldwin announces departure from CNN: ‘I am so excited about what is to come’

‘The next chapter of life will be focused on what I love the most about my work, amplifying the lives of extraordinary Americans and putting my passion for storytelling to good use’

CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin announced on air on Tuesday that she planned to leave the network in April.

“I am so grateful for your loyalty and passion for the world we cover and so grateful to my show team, you know who you are,” Baldwin said. “To Jeff Zucker, to my very large CNN family, and to you. To you. The next chapter of life will be focused on what I love the most about my work, amplifying the lives of extraordinary Americans and putting my passion for storytelling to good use.

“After most of my 20s working my way up in local news, I came to this network in 2008 – in the midst of the Great Recession as a freelancer,” she continued. “I remember I scribbled my name on a Post-It note and stuck it outside of this temporary office, determined to fulfilling my dream of becoming a full-time CNN correspondent.”

There is “more I need to do outside of this place, outside of the walls of this place, a place I have been privileged to call home now for 13 years,” she added.

She also described an upcoming book project: “For the last two years, I have been working on my first book. It's called Huddle: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power.”

“Yep, we are still in a pandemic,” Baldwin continued, “and no, I don’t have a job I’m jumping right into. And yes, yes, I’m feeling very vulnerable. But what is it Brené Brown says? Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity, and change. And I am so excited about what is to come.”

Baldwin has been with the network since 2008. She has been based in New York City since 2014. During her time at CNN, she has hosted CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin, which typically airs on weekday afternoons. She is also a Peabody Award finalist and the creator and host of CNN’s Digital series American Woman.

In April 2020, Baldwin published a groundbreaking “Coronavirus Diary” to CNN.com, which chronicled her experience with the deadly virus, which she called “full two-week beating on my body”.

“I realized that sharing my own vulnerability with others online and receiving positive energy and well-wishes back brings me the gift of connection,” she wrote. “I quickly discovered how grateful I was to all of these people showing me love. It didn't take long for me to learn to lean in and receive it. In my darker moments, I would log on to Instagram just to be lifted up by love.

It was overwhelming in a way I have never felt in my life. And it showed me how – even when the world stops and takes a collective breath – we're all capable of showing up for one another. And for that, I will forever be grateful.”