What Has Oliver Darcy Been Doing Since He Left CNN?

In August of 2024, Oliver Darcy made shockwaves with his abrupt exit from CNN. Darcy, who was a senior media reporter for the cable network, acted as the sole face and writer of "Reliable Sources" since 2022. Soon after his exit announcement, Darcy announced the launch of his very own newsletter, "Status," in which he would deliver "hard-hitting reporting and unflinching analysis on the Fourth Estate, Hollywood, and Silicon Valley," according to a post he penned on Status. He then wrote, "There will be no sugarcoating, no pulling punches, no sparing sensitive egos — just the unvarnished truth about the companies and individuals who shape our world."

During his time at CNN, Darcy had forged a notable reputation for his insightful coverage across a wide array of topics. In the years since and with the launch of "Status," Darcy has become an even more powerful force of nature with a relentless commitment to uncovering the truth, as he had promised his readers in his first e-mail. In November of 2024, Darcy made headlines after he pushed billionaire Los Angeles Times owner, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, for answers regarding his decision to hire pro-Trump commentator, Scott Jennings, to be on the newspaper's editorial board. 

While the interview started on good terms with Soon-Shiong discussing his desire for an editorial board that represented all sides. Darcy then took the opportunity to question Soon-Shiong on his board pick of Scott Jennings and his past commentary regarding Donald Trump. Darcy explained in his article on Status (via Mediaite) that it was when he brought the subject of Donald Trump to the table that the conversation became "combative." After some back and forth, an allegedly annoyed Soon-Shiong then abruptly ended the interview.

Despite Darcy implying that his exit was mostly for the pursuit of his own interests, his exit only seemed to fuel the rumors that the network was struggling. In an interview with LinkedIn, Darcy explained he had long been "intrigued by the idea of taking the leap and building something on [his] own and tapping into an entrepreneurial spirit [he's] always had." When asked about leaving behind the security CNN offers, he carefully explained that while the "relationships [he] forged at CNN were essential to allowing [him] to take this path ... legacy news organizations haven't really adjusted the way they compensate creators." So, this definitely proves not everyone is getting paid as well as Anderson Cooper allegedly does at CNN.

In the interview with LinkedIn, Darcy also detailed the conversation he had with the network after he had made the decision to leave and pursue his own brand. He stated he and the network had a "series of candid discussions" in which both parties "respected the other's viewpoints" and that this was an "amicable sort of a split." So it seems like Darcy's exit was nothing like Brooke Baldwin's CNN exit, which was messier than we'd realized. It's also great that he left on his own terms as many people don't have that privilege. Although he has made a triumphant return, even Darcy's predecessor for "Reliable Sources", Brian Stetler, was once axed from CNN, similar to the way Cuomo was terminated by the network.