New CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss was seen with a group of six bodyguards, described as “burly” and “chilled,” while attending a media event in New York City on Tuesday.
Weiss was among several notable figures invited to a conference hosted by private equity firm Redbird Capital at the New York Historical Society.
The 41-year-old, co-founder of Free Press and recent seller of her newsletter to Paramount Skydance for $150 million, appeared in good spirits as she arrived at the venue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Photographs showed Weiss surrounded by her security detail, forming a protective “ring” around her. One of her bodyguards reportedly resembled a “chilled figure” with a “muscular physique,” similar to Hollywood star Hugh Jackman.
Another bodyguard was said to have a resemblance to singer Enrique Iglesias. While Weiss was spotted at CBS News headquarters with her guards, it was unclear if all six were accompanying her there.
Weiss was present for this year’s Redbird Capital annual meeting, which featured several high-profile attendees, such as NBA commissioner Adam Silver, PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolap, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who delivered the keynote speech.
The meeting also included executives from notable organizations like the Telegraph and Daily Mail, focusing on topics like media disruption and branding athletes.
Redbird’s founder, Jerry Cardinal, spoke about expanding his media empire and ongoing ventures in AI, as his firm invested between $1.8 billion and $2 billion as part of Skydance’s larger acquisition of Paramount Global, securing about 22.5% ownership of the combined company.
Weiss’s initial period as head of CBS News has already encountered challenges. In a recent meeting with “60 Minutes” staff, she reportedly raised eyebrows by bluntly questioning why viewers perceive the show as biased.
Although Weiss lacks television experience, she was hired by Skydance’s David Ellison to instill a more “rigorous” and “fact-based” approach at CBS. However, her push for change has faced pushback.
The former opinion editor at the New York Times has expressed concerns over leaks, called for accountability, and encouraged producers to feature prominent figures like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jared Kushner.
Shortly after her appointment, Claudia Milne, CBS News’ long-serving standards chief, resigned, marking the first notable exit under Weiss’s leadership.
The atmosphere within the newsroom remains tense as staff anticipate further organizational changes, including expected layoffs in the near future.
