Joy Reid described the head of MSNBC as “terrifying,” indicating that her social media activity led to significant pressure that ultimately resulted in the cancellation of her primetime show, “The Reidout.”
In a recent conversation with Katie Couric, which aired on Reid’s new podcast, she claimed that the network’s management discouraged her from engaging with viewers online, suggesting they might have granted her too much freedom.
“Whenever I tweet anything, I get a call. It’s as if I should just say, ‘I’m off Twitter,'” Reid noted.
She continued, “They prefer to keep tight control over their talent and reporters because they want to maintain standards and practices. It’s about giving your personality directly to the audience.”
Reid’s show, “The Reidout,” was axed in February as part of a sweeping programming change initiated by the new president of MSNBC, Rebecca Kutler. The last episode aired on February 24.
This cancellation was part of a broader network restructuring that apparently impacted other hosts as well, including Alex Wagner and Katie Fang.
Reid’s remarks come just ahead of the launch of “The Joy Reid Show,” a new podcast and YouTube series set to premiere on June 9. She shared her interview with Couric on her platforms, offering her most open comments about her departure from MSNBC.
While there was no formal explanation provided for the cancellation of “Reidout,” speculation arose that the decision was linked to Donald Trump’s return to the spotlight, suggesting a larger post-election shake-up.
Additionally, other non-white hosts were reportedly let go around the same time. Former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann referred to this as a “purge” and characterized it as racially motivated.
When asked directly by Couric about the reasons for her firing, Reid admitted she was unsure. “I’ve been asked this so many times, and while I think people are just fluffing it, I genuinely don’t know,” she said.
She mentioned that she learned about her show’s cancellation right after communicating with MSNBC’s PR team, celebrating their recent NAACP Image Award win.
Reid insisted that the decision had nothing to do with low ratings, stating, “That wasn’t an evaluation… We were just discussing how we fared compared to Rachel Maddow’s show following Trump’s victory.”
She expressed confusion about the reviews, noting that they had been expressed as positive, and added that she hadn’t seen negative feedback until later.
Reid doesn’t completely attribute her show’s cancellation to her vocal criticism of Trump, though she acknowledged it might have had some influence. “I think there’s a disparity in how critiques of Trump are received, particularly coming from black women,” she indicated.
Feeling a certain apprehension toward Trump, Reid remarked, “It’s something we see echoed everywhere.”
This isn’t the first time Reid faced controversy. Issues have arisen surrounding past blog posts, which she initially claimed were hacked but later reconciling that they didn’t represent her views. She has also apologized for past tweets containing problematic language.
In 2020, Reid faced backlash for remarks comparing Trump’s rhetoric to that of radical Islamic leaders, inciting reactions from Muslim Americans.
More recently, she described Florida’s government as “fascist” during MSNBC’s 2024 election coverage and criticized white female voters in North Carolina for not supporting Kamala Harris and the state’s failure to safeguard abortion rights.
Reid further ignited discussions with her comments regarding an attempted assassination of Trump, insinuating that his own rhetoric may have spurred political violence, which prompted critics to call for her show’s cancellation.
This article has sought a response from MSNBC.
