Christiane Amanpour, 68, CNN's chief international anchor and a war correspondent who built her reputation on frontline reporting, said she will leave the network after 43 years.
Amanpour, who serves as CNN's chief international anchor and a correspondent for the network's international news division, announced her departure in a statement released through CNN, The Associated Press reported on the 19th. Her daily program on CNN International, "Amanpour," will be cut back to a weekly broadcast starting early next year and will end with its final episode in May.
Amanpour did not give a reason for leaving CNN. The AP noted, however, that the resignation coincides with Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN's parent company. CNN has been a frequent target of criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has escalated his attacks on news organizations by accusing them of biased coverage. Last month, Trump barred CNN and two other news outlets from access to the White House. Skydance Chief Executive David Ellison is known to have a close relationship with Trump, prompting speculation that CNN's coverage could turn more favorable toward the administration.
Amanpour joined CNN in 1983 and began working as an international correspondent in 1990. She gained prominence in the early 1990s as a war correspondent covering the Gulf War and conflicts across the Middle East, among other front lines. She later anchored international news programs at CNN, reporting on conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere and interviewing world leaders.
Amanpour is also known for refusing a demand to wear a headscarf ahead of a September 2022 interview with then-Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Nationwide protests were under way in Iran at the time over the suspicious death of Mahsa Amini, who had been detained for not wearing a headscarf. Amanpour declined, saying no Iranian president had ever asked her to wear a headscarf, and the interview was called off. In 2021, she disclosed that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and that the disease had returned.