CNN technology reporter Kara Swisher is pushing back against speculation that her previously announced plans to leave the network are linked to an unwillingness to work for her former partner’s wife.
Swisher, 63, criticized Page Six on Wednesday for trying to manufacture “girl-on-girl action” and a “lesbian cat fight” by promoting that explanation.
The report focused on Swisher’s former partner, Nellie Bowles, and Bowles’ wife, CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss.
Weiss, 42, has reportedly been considered for a senior position at CNN if Warner and CBS parent company Paramount complete their proposed merger.
A group of state attorneys general announced a settlement Monday, removing a key obstacle to the acquisition.
Swisher had spent months saying she would leave CNN if Paramount CEO David Ellison and his billionaire father, Larry Ellison, took control. During a Tuesday recording of her Pivot podcast, she said she was following through on that pledge.
Page Six’s report appeared soon afterward. One source told the outlet, “Kara’s just jealous.”
Swisher responded by sharing a screenshot of the Page Six reporter’s request for comment and writing: “The pro-power media water carriers are hard at work trying to make a lesbian cat fight happen.”
The outlet included her response in its report.
CNN technology reporter Kara Swisher responded Wednesday to a Page Six report claiming her plan to leave the network was connected to her former partner’s wife
Swisher’s former partner, Nellie Bowles, is pictured with her wife, CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss. Sources told Page Six that Swisher was “jealous,” suggesting her planned departure had a motive beyond CNN’s prospective new ownership
“Here’s my comment: ‘As exciting as girl-on-girl action is for you to gin up, I have been saying for a long time now that I would depart CNN if the deal goes through, due to my lack of confidence in the owners as decent media stewards & not whatever minion they decide to install,’” Swisher wrote.
“Please try to keep up as hard as that is for you.”
Swisher and Bowles, 39, dated for several years before Bowles married Weiss in 2021. That same year, Bowles and Weiss co-founded the Free Press.
MORE ON THIS: How to Choose a Friendly Cat: Breeds With the Warmest Personalities
David Ellison, 43, paid $150 million for the center-right news outlet shortly after his former company, Skydance, merged with Paramount last year. One of his first moves after taking control was appointing Weiss to lead CBS News.
Several journalists have since departed CBS, citing frustration with the new leadership. Anderson Cooper left 60 Minutes in May, reportedly because of concerns about Weiss, according to Status.
“He wasn’t comfortable with the direction the show was taking under Bari, and is in a position where he doesn’t have to put up with it,” a source told the newsletter. A second source likewise attributed Cooper’s departure to Weiss.
Larry Ellison is also a prominent Republican donor. The Ellisons were reportedly the only bidders seeking to purchase Warner Bros. Discovery in its entirety, while other potential buyers were not interested in CNN. David and Larry Ellison are friendly with the Trump administration.
Paramount is now positioned to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery after reaching an agreement Monday with a group of states led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Swisher had vowed for months to leave if Paramount CEO David Ellison took control. His father, billionaire Larry Ellison, has conservative political ties. She renewed her criticism of both men during her podcast Tuesday
The agreement included a commitment from Paramount to create a board tasked with protecting the editorial independence of CNN and CBS News. That concession addressed Bonta’s concerns that the merger could place too much media power under one company.
Swisher is among those who remain uneasy about what the Ellisons’ ownership could mean for the networks.
During her web show Tuesday, Swisher told author Scott Galloway that she had already asked her agent “to get me out of my contract.”
“It ends December 31, so it’s only a few months, right? I just can’t,” she said. “F**k these guys! I don’t want to work for them. I just don’t.”
“I have been very explicit… I think they are terrible media owners.”
She added, “I would rather work for Rupert Murdoch.” The Murdochs own Page Six.
The Daily Mail has contacted CNN, Page Six, Weiss and Bowles for comment.
