Tiffany Cross talks alleged smear campaign by former MSNBC bosses, Rye laments CNN exit on political podcast
In an episode of iHeartMedia’s "Native Land Pod" released this month, Angela Rye discussed her departure from CNN and uncomfortable texts she allegedly received from colleague Chris Cuomo.
Tiffany Cross is moving on, but she still took time on iHeartMedia’s “Native Land Pod” podcast to address questions surrounding her departure from MSNBC.
The former anchor – who co-hosts the podcast “Native Land Pod” with former CNN commentator Angela Rye and former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum – said editors policed her language, bosses questioned her intelligence, and when she eventually left the network, some continued speaking negatively about her to others in the media industry.
She also accused morning show host Joe Scarborough of complaining to network executives about her – all of which she said eventually led to the cancellation of her highly rated show “The Cross Connection.”
Speaking on the podcast, Cross prefaced her story with a disclaimer that she and her co-hosts “are good” and are not using the podcast to launch a revenge tour.
Before “The Cross Connection” launched, Cross appeared on “Morning Joe Live” to promote her book. After disagreeing with Scarborough, Cross said reputable sources, including two anchors, a talent agent, and another network executive, told her Scarborough was “beside himself” and told the network president she called him racist. He allegedly asked the network not to hire her.
After the debut of “The Cross Connection” in December 2020, Cross said her intelligence was questioned and that the network wanted her to focus solely on Donald Trump, and Capitol Hill. She said her superiors began speaking to her in a condescending manner after each episode, even trying to tell her, a 20-year industry veteran, the definition of “news.” She called the criticism “debilitating.”
MSNBC eventually announced the cancellation of “The Cross Connection,” its highest-rated weekend show whose viewing audience included more than 35% of Black Americans, in November 2022. Cross said MSNBC planted hit pieces about her in the press post-cancellation and spoke disparagingly about her to talent at competing networks, specifically folks at “The View.”
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Cross’ revelation comes a week after Rye spoke emotionally on the podcast’s first episode about her time at CNN. Rye claimed that host Chris Cuomo sent her a screenshot of a photo she posted to Instagram in which she was wearing a gold-sequined bikini, writing, “Happy New Year, tinsel crotch,” according to The Cut.
Rye called the incident “one of the most embarrassing, humiliating experiences I had,” and said she felt as though her safe space was compromised.
On the podcast, Rye claimed Cuomo texted her “Hello” a few hours later and asked her to call him to “discuss work” the next day — messages she ignored for a week. The Cut reported that, according to Rye, a network official called her a few weeks later to inform her that CNN would not extend her contract because the network wanted to concentrate “more on COVID coverage and less on politics.”
Cross also said her firing was abrupt. “…My viewers would not even be given the courtesy or respect of me being able to sign off.” Cross said she believes the way her show ended sent a message to others in the industry that she was unhireable and could not be “trusted with a live mic.”
Cross said she was able to get through these difficult times because of the support she received from Rye and other peers in the industry. “Thank God I was surrounded in sisterhood,” said Cross.
Representatives for MSNBC, CNN, Joe Scarborough, and Chris Cuomo did not immediately respond to comment.
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