Joy Reid Jokes That She’s ‘Recently Been Through a Breakup’ as She Makes Surprise Appearance After MSNBC Exit

Joy Reid has a sense of humor about her recent exit from MSNBC.

While speaking at Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood event on Feb. 27, the broadcaster, 56, made a not-so-subtle reference to the network’s decision to end her nightly news segment, The ReidOut.

“Good afternoon and welcome to Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood,” she began her speech. “Now, I think you might have heard that I recently been through a breakup, but not with my husband!”

“Not with my husband, because today actually is our anniversary,” she added, noting that the couple were celebrating 28 years of marriage on that day.

The lighthearted joke comes after MSNBC’s new president Rebecca Kulter announced that Reid would be exiting the network on Feb. 24.

“Joy Reid is leaving the network and we thank her for her countless contributions over the years,” Culter wrote in a memo sent to staff. “Her work has been recognized with several esteemed honors, including most recently, the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding News Series.”

Reid also addressed the news in a statement shared to BlueSky and Instagram just after midnight, prior to the memo.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement, both personally and in these social media streets,” Reid said. “So very proud of The Reidout @joy.msnbc.com team, who are truly family, and all of our supporters & friends. See you tomorrow night at 7, one more time.”

The ReidOut became an evening mainstay on MSNBC since its 2020 inception and saw the political commentator hold extensive interviews with politicians and other public figures.

During an appearance on the Win With Black Women podcast on Feb. 24, Reid addressed her departure and acknowledged that she was feeling a wide range of emotions.

“I’ve been through every emotion from, you know, anger, rage, disappointment, hurt, guilt, that I let my team lose their jobs,” she said, getting teary. “But in the end, where I really land … is just gratitude. Just pure gratitude. And gratitude not just because people would take the time to get on a call like this or to take care of me, but also that my show had value.”

Reid also said she had no regrets about the news she chose to cover during her time on MSNBC, including the Black Lives Matter movement, hate crimes towards Asian Americans and immigration.

“I’m not sorry. I am not sorry that I stood up for those things,” she added.