Source: Leon Bennett / Getty
On Friday (Nov. 4), MSNBC seemingly out of the blue announced that it would not be renewing its contract with Tiffany Cross. Despite the accomplished Black woman’s strong rating for her weekend show, The Cross Connection, the news outlet choosing to cut ties with her just before midterm elections has Black Twitter calling out the jig.
Variety reports that Cross’ production staff was notified of the decision on Friday morning. Reportedly, MSNBC, which is owned by NBCUniversal, decided not to renew her contract after two years, immediately.
If you follow Cross whether on television or social media, you know she’s not one to mince words. Apparently, this caused concern with the MSNBC higher-ups despite strong ratings that include the show reporting a 32% increase in viewership among the 25-54 demographic in the first quarter of 2022.
Per Variety:
There has been speculation that Cross’ relationship with MSNBC was becoming frayed, according to two of these people, with executives at the network growing concerned about the anchor’s willingness to address statements made by cable-news hosts on other networks and indulging in commentary executives felt did not meet the standards of MSNBC or NBC News.
Recently, Cross had refused to back down in “feuds” with conservative blowhards like Blackface expert Megan Kelly and racist superhero Tucker Carlson from FOX News. But, early speculation is that it was Cross’ recent appearance on Charlamagne Tha God’s Comedy Central talk show, Hell of a Week with Charlemagne, that sparked her ouster.
“Florida literally looks like the d*ck of the country, so let’s get rid of Florida,” said Cross when asked what state could Dems afford to lose during “One’s Gotta Go” segment on midterm elections. “Let’s castrate Florida.” If you watch the entire segment, Cross kicked nothing but facts about Ron DeSantis and his constant tomfoolery. Truth hurts?
In another portion of the show, Cross addressed the GOP’s move to right-wing extremism when discussing the attack of Nancy Pelosi’s husband and also noted that FOX News is a propaganda network when fellow panelists Joe Coscarelli tried to equate the brand with MSNBC. Ironically, that didn’t stop the latter from essentially firing her.
Cross issued a statement on Friday evening. “I am disheartened to learn of MSNBC’s decision to cancel my show, ‘The Cross Connection,’ at such a crucial time — four days before the midterm elections,” said Cross noting her shows good ratings. “And we were intentional about centering marginalized voices of the rising majority — from all communities of color.”
She added, “Fresh off the heels of a ‘racial reckoning,’ as so many have called it, we see that with progress there is always backlash,” said Cross. “With a career in media spanning two decades from CNN to BET and MSNBC, I have not only navigated newsrooms but built them as well. With a rapidly changing media landscape, I look forward to maintaining a platform that continues to reflect the changing demographics of the country.”
Read her entire statement below. Check out Black Twitter strong reaction to the jig, with many fellow journalists of color rallying to support her, in the gallery.