Former CNN This Morning anchor Poppy Harlow has parted ways with the struggling cable news network after rejecting a “clear demotion” from boss Mark Thompson, the Post reported.
Thompson, who took over last year from ousted CNN chief Chris Licht, offered Harlow the role of chief business correspondent and stand-in anchor after the morning show disbanded, a source told the Post.
“After anchoring his own show, returning to being a reporter felt like a clear demotion,” the source said.
“Mark offered Poppy an interesting opportunity, but we didn’t see eye to eye,” a network source said candidly. “But Poppy is leaving amicably.”
The source pointed to the fact that Thompson and other CNN executives are scheduled to see Harlow off next Wednesday at a restaurant near the network’s New York bureau in Hudson Yards.
CNN declined to comment.
A representative for Mr. Harlow did not respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Harlow, who worked for CNN for 16 years, co-hosted the ill-fated morning show with Caitlan Collins and Don Lemon, but Don Lemon yelled insults at Mr. Collins off-camera and on-air. He was fired last year after a series of gaffes, including the infamous remark that he was Nikki Haley. She was a Republican presidential candidate at the time and was “not in her prime.”
Harlow immediately called out to the failed prime-time host, saying, “What are you talking about? Wait a minute… what is Prime for?”
Lemon immediately tried to save himself by claiming that he was not stating his personal beliefs and that his bizarre rant was based on facts that could be gleaned from internet searches.
“That’s not the case in my opinion,” he said. “It’s like prime. If you look it up. If you Google when is a woman’s prime working age, it comes up in her 20s, 30s, 40s.”
Harlow ended up storming off the set.
Lemon was temporarily suspended from broadcasting and apologized after receiving backlash.Shortly after, Collins Pushed to prime time, Lemon was fired.
Harlow was paired with Phil Mattingly, but Thompson canceled the show in February following poor ratings and anchored the Washington, D.C.-based news-focused show from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. He appointed Casey Hunt to do so.
“CNN This Morning” averaged 322,000 total viewers in January, compared to 988,000 for MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and 1.07 million for Fox’s “Fox & Friends.”
The cancellation left Harlow and Mattingly’s futures up in the air. Thompson quickly found and accepted a job as Mattingly’s chief domestic correspondent.
The option of becoming a business reporter and filling in for the anchor in the absence of a permanent host did not sit well with the veteran journalist, sources said.
Harlow has a knack for business reporting and joined the network in 2008 as a reporter for then-business-focused CNNMoney.com, but held various beat and fill-in anchor jobs before becoming full-time anchor in 2017. continued. She co-hosted “CNN Newsroom” with Jim Sciutto.
Harlow announced her decision to leave CNN after 21 years in a memo to staff late last month.
“When I walked in the door at CNN in 2008, I was 25 years old and had never appeared on live television before. Green is an understatement!” Harlow wrote. “I grew up here as a journalist and as a person.”
Harlow, 41, thanked Thompson and Amy Entelis, CNN’s executive vice president of talent, original programming and creative development, saying they were “amazing and gave us the space to make this decision.” I wrote.
It’s unclear whether Harlow will return to journalism, but he’ll likely stay in the spotlight for a little longer.
Her children’s book, “The Color of Love,” which she co-wrote with “Saturday Today” co-anchor Laura Jarrett, will hit shelves on May 14.
