Legendary CNN star Christiane Amanpour quits network after 43 years… as she appears to fire parting shot at network’s new owners

DAILYMAIL.COM • 1h ago

By NINA JOUDEH Updated: 18:34 19 Oct 2026

Iconic CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour has announced plans to leave the network after 43 years with the company.

Amanepour, 68, appeared to take a shot at CNN as she did so, with the network facing criticism from some staff amid an impending takeover by Trump-friendly billionaire David Ellison.

‘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.

The star 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.’

Amanpour’s resignation announcement comes one month after CNN on-air contributor Kara Swisher also said she’s done with the network following the approval of the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery $100 billion merger led by David and Larry Ellison.

Although Swisher’s contract runs through the end of the year, she said of the Ellisons, ‘I have been very explicit … I think they are terrible media owners.’

The father-son duo are staunch financial supporters and close allies of President Donald Trump, having donated approximately $45 million to a pro-Trump political nonprofit during his 2024 election efforts.

Meanwhile, CNN chairman Mark Thompson shared the longtime anchor’s news in a memo to colleagues, stating:

‘Christiane has thought carefully about this decision, and she and I have been discussing it for some months,’ Thompson wrote.

‘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 made no mention of her health, with the journalist currently believed to be receiving treatment for cancer.

She was first diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer in 2021 and had surgery as well as chemotherapy to treat it.

In October 2025, Amanpour said that the cancer had returned. She is believed to be receiving treatment at a London hospital.

Amanpour was born in London in 1968 and began her career at CNN in 1983 when she was hired as a desk assistant at the then-fledgling network’s Atlanta headquarters.

She began working as a correspondent out of CNN’s New York City office in 1986, with her meteoric rise to the top of the network ensuing.

Amanpour reported from Germany for the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and the Gulf War in 1991, which bolstered her reputation as a foreign correspondent.

She became one of the network’s most trusted reporters and was promoted to the role of chief international correspondent in 1992, covering the biggest breaking news stories across the globe.

Amanpour plans to continue her podcast, ‘X-Files’ with ex-husband Jamie Rubin. The former couple share one son together, Darius John Rubin.

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