Chatter around CNN deal says Kara Swisher is quitting over ex Nellie Bowles

Could Kara Swisher’s exit from CNN be a about a little more than politics?

The famed tech reporter announced on her podcast Tuesday that — after news that David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance is expected to absorb CNN — she’s exiting the network as soon as possible.

 “‘F–k these guys,’” she said on “The Pivot,” “I don’t want to work for them.”

But the chatter around the deal is that her ex, Nellie Bowles, may play a part in her rush for the door.

Bowles is now married to Bari Weiss, Ellison’s golden child, who he installed at the helm of CBS News when he bought it in 2025, and is widely rumored to be eyeing to run editorial at CNN too.

Insiders note that Swisher may not be entirely thrilled by the prospect of working for her beloved ex girlfriend’s new wife. In fact, some say she’s still pining for the charming Bowles and is not yet over the sting of losing out to Weiss.

“Kara’s just jealous,” sniped one source.

After we emailed Swisher for comment, she posted the email on Threads, and said: “‘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… Please try to keep up as hard as that is for you.”

Bowles — who co-founded the Free Press with Weiss — worked on Swisher’s “Recode” podcast in the mid-2010s, and the pair dated for several years.

The satirist started dating Weiss in 2018, and they married in a couple of years later. They now have two kids.

Swisher, meanwhile, separated from politico Megan Smith in 2014. She’s now married to Amanda Katz, and they also have two kids.

The podcaster’s CNN contract runs through Dec. 31., and she said Tuesday that she has asked her agent to get her out of her deal early.

We hope the agent gets her sprung before December, or the CNN holiday party could be quite awkward.