CNN Exodus Revealed: Christine Romans Left in Secret Move to NBC — as a Second On-air Reporter Jumps Ship to ‘Drama-free’ 30 Rock
CNN anchor Christine Romans suddenly departed the struggling news network for NBC last week, RadarOnline.com can confirm. Fellow reporter Chloe Melas also jumped ship from CNN for a new gig at the “drama-free” greener pastures of NBC.
Romans announced her abrupt departure on Friday in the latest development to come as more and more talent depart CNN in what appears to be a mass exodus from the struggling news network.
“It’s impossible to sum up 24 wonderful and transformative years at CNN, but here it goes: five elections, a dot-com boom and bust, 9/11, a housing bubble and financial crisis, and a global pandemic,” Romans said in a statement shortly after she announced her departure on Friday.
She added, “I’ve climbed the mountain and it’s time for me to climb a new one, but I’m forever grateful to have worked alongside some of the most talented journalists in the business.”
Romans’ last day at CNN was on Friday. Puck reported that Romans will continue her career at NBC News and that CNN International correspondent Rahel Solomon is expected to replace Romans on Early Start.
Meanwhile, Puck also reported that Chloe Melas – a longtime entertainment reporter for CNN – is also leaving CNN for NBC News after 15 years.
As RadarOnline.com reported in the past, Melas previously made headlines for two separate incidents that took place during her time with CNN.
In May 2018, Melas broke the bombshell story that Hollywood superstar Morgan Freeman was accused of sexual misconduct by 16 women – including Melas herself.
“You are ripe,” Freeman allegedly told Melas, who was six months pregnant at the time, as she interviewed the actor for his then-new film, Going in Style.
Freeman later issued an apology “to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected” by his alleged remarks.
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Melas made headlines again in February 2022 shortly after Jeff Zucker resigned from CNN.
As RadarOnline.com reported at the time, a cache of leaked text messages between Melas and a CNN makeup artist exposed the rampant toxicity taking place behind the scenes at the cable giant’s workplace.
“Hey Christine, just a heads up I have reached out to Julie to discuss being increasingly made to feel uncomfortable in the makeup room,” Melas wrote in one message obtained by this outlet. “I have been urged by fellow makeup artists who have noticed as well.”
“I don’t want you to feel blindsided and it’s a shame that this can’t be just worked out like adults who used to be on friendly terms,” she wrote in another. “But it’s been many months now and I just don’t feel like this will get resolved the way it is which makes me upset.”
The makeup artist later forwarded the messages to her CNN superiors and accused Melas of having a “history of targeting people” and being “hyper manipulative.”
“She has talked about me repeatedly to coworkers and I am feeling bullied by her attempts at intimidating and harassing me through my coworkers,” Christine said of Melas. “She has a specific pattern of behavior and will use threats to get what she wants.”
Romans and Melas’s departures from CNN for NBC this month marked just the latest talent to jump ship from Hudson Yards to 30 Rock.
Laura Jarrett made the same move earlier this year, as did Ana Cabrera and Rebecca Kutler. Longtime producer David Gelles left CNN in August 2022 and now serves as the executive producer for NBC’s Meet the Press.
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