Suzanne Malveaux Announces She’s Leaving CNN

Photo: CNN

CNN national correspondent and anchor Suzanne Malveaux announced Friday that she was leaving the network, Mediaite has learned.

Malveaux’s departure comes after two decades at CNN. Prior to joining the network, she was an NBC News correspondent, covering stories including the 2000 presidential election and recount and President Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial.

At CNN, she reported on the Russian invasion of Ukraine live from Lviv, interviewed five living U.S. presidents and several first ladies, embedded with American troops in Afghanistan for the tenth anniversary of 9/11, and covered the presidencies of Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. In September 2005, Malveaux was part of the CNN team that won a Peabody Award for their reporting on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in her family’s hometown of New Orleans.

Other honors earned by Malveaux include a Gracie Award from the Alliance for Women for her 2013 series of CNN reports on her mother’s battle with ALS, being named “One of America’s Most Powerful Players Under 40″ by Black Enterprise, Ebony’s ”Outstanding Women in Marketing & Communications,” The Root.com 100’s “Most Influential Young African Americans,” and Essence Magazine’s “2009 Journalist of the Year.” Malveaux has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s degree in Journalism from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, in addition to three honorary bachelor’s degrees.

Malveaux lives in Washington, D.C. with her partner, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and their daughter Soleil Malveaux Jean-Pierre.

A source at CNN who spoke on condition of anonymity told Mediaite that Malveaux announced she was leaving CNN Friday morning, with the news coming as a surprise to her colleagues. The source said Malveaux was “wonderful” and would be missed, but did not yet know what her future plans were.

Mediaite reached out to CNN representatives for comment, but did not receive a response.

UPDATE: The Washington Post independently confirmed Malveaux’s departure from CNN, reporting that network head Chris Licht had made the official announcement during the Friday morning newsroom meeting:

In a memo to her CNN colleagues obtained by The Washington Post, Malveaux said she approached network management in the fall about exploring “new opportunities.” In particular, Malveaux said, she will work with the family of Nelson Mandela on a project spotlighting stories of reconciliation and peace.

“After 20 years of delivering groundbreaking stories for the audiences of CNN, I’ve made the heartfelt decision to put myself and my family first and to pursue my long-desired professional passions: using storytelling to promote wellness, resiliency and social justice,” Malveaux wrote. “I will forever be grateful for the opportunities CNN afforded me.”

In a statement provided to The Post, a CNN spokesperson touted Malveaux’s work, including interviews with five U.S. presidents. “We are excited for her and her next chapter and wish her all the best,” the spokesperson said.