BS BRIEF:
- Megyn Kelly sharply criticized former CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin after Baldwin discussed her post-CNN personal life and dating experiences on her Substack and podcast appearances, calling her public persona “overly therapized” and questioning the direction of her career.
- Kelly’s comments came during an appearance with the hosts of the Ruthless podcast, where she contrasted Baldwin’s current content with her years as a traditional television news anchor.
MEGYN KELLY RIPS FORMER CNN STAR OVER SUBSTACK REINVENTION: “YOU DESERVE BETTER”
Former Fox News and NBC anchor Megyn Kelly is taking aim at another familiar television face—this time former CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin.
During a conversation on the Ruthless Podcast, Kelly mocked Baldwin’s recent Substack writing and public discussion of her dating life, arguing that the longtime news anchor has drifted far from the serious journalism career that made her a household name.
Kelly referenced a recent essay in which Baldwin reflected on dating multiple men following her divorce and departure from CNN.
“Her work and her mission include banging four men in a month,” Kelly said, before joking about the various men Baldwin described in her essay.
Kelly continued by poking fun at what she characterized as Baldwin’s self-reflective style.
“Brooke Baldwin’s journey… of awakening. I mean, the self-help talk, the journeys of awakening—I see you. Her gratitude, the music… the overly therapized talk in there—you can tell she spent a lot of years in therapy.”
The former Fox News host contrasted Baldwin’s current online persona with the image she projected during her years behind the CNN anchor desk.
Kelly also replayed clips from Baldwin’s CNN career, including a well-known interview with sports commentator Clay Travis, before questioning whether Baldwin’s latest career pivot represented the best path forward.
Despite the blistering criticism, Kelly stopped short of making the exchange entirely personal.
“I think she’s been in a very toxic industry for a long, long time. I can relate,” Kelly said. “She had a divorce. Okay, that can be tough… I don’t think this is the way out of the funk, Brooke… You deserve better.”
Baldwin left CNN in 2021 after more than a decade with the network. Since then, she has focused on independent media projects, including her newsletter and podcast, where she frequently discusses career changes, relationships and personal growth. Her memoir, Huddle: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power, was published following her departure from cable news.
The exchange reflects a broader trend in the media industry. As traditional television audiences fragment, many former network personalities have built independent businesses through subscription newsletters, podcasts and direct-to-audience platforms, often blending personal storytelling with political and cultural commentary.
Neither Baldwin nor her representatives had publicly responded to Kelly’s remarks as of Wednesday evening.
MY TAKE:
Cable news has produced a fascinating second act for many of its former stars.
Some launch investigative newsletters. Others start interview shows. Some write books. And increasingly, the business model seems to be, “Tell strangers everything about your personal life.”
There’s obviously an audience for that, or these platforms wouldn’t exist. But Megyn Kelly’s larger point—that Brooke Baldwin was once known primarily as a serious news anchor—is hard to miss. The contrast between then and now is striking.
The era of simply reading the news is fading. Personality sells. Intimacy sells. Personal confession sells.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Mediaite – Megyn Kelly Takes Aim At Ex-CNN Anchor For Writing About ‘Banging Four Men in a Month’
- The Ruthless Podcast – Megyn Kelly appearance discussing Brooke Baldwin’s Substack and career.
- Brooke Baldwin Substack – Recent essay discussing dating, life after CNN and personal growth.
- People – Coverage of Brooke Baldwin’s post-CNN career and memoir.
