Ashleigh Banfield has years of journalism experience, first making a name for herself after reporting from Ground Zero on September 11, 2001. In January 2012, she joined CNN as the cohost of the morning show Early Start, and eventually began hosting her own show, Legal View, on the network.
However, in 2016 she left CNN for its sister network, HLN, and was eventually let go from the company all together. Scroll down for what we know about her exit and what she’s doing now.
Why did Ashleigh Banfield leave CNN?
In October 2016, it was announced that Banfield would be leaving CNN to begin hosting a new show on its sister network. The move came amid rebranding at HLN, which led to the shuffling of some staff members.
“She will bring her legal experience and views to HLN prime, tackling the day’s most pressing social and legal issues mixed with her own passionate point of view and spirited conversation,” Ken Jautz, CNN’s executive VP, said in a statement at the time. “Ashleigh and her distinct journalistic style is the perfect fit as we continue to refocus on our news roots and increase our live hours of programming.”
Banfield’s show, Crime & Justice with Ashleigh Banfield, aired for just over two years before she was let go from HLN in October 2018. The decision came as HLN began cutting live news programs that were no longer performing well.
“The current cable news landscape is dominated by politics,” Jautz explained. “Our live news shows have not benefited from this trend given our story mix. However, HLN’s longform programs have been performing very well.” By 2025, HLN cut live programming entirely.
What is Ashleigh Banfield doing now?
Since March 2021, Banfield has been hosting her news program Banfield on NewsNation. The show airs on weekdays at 10/9c. In February 2024, she reached a multi-year dear with the network to continue hosting the program.
“As the crime genre continues to be an increasingly important staple for Americans, Banfield has become an essential destination for true crime fans,” Banfield explained in a press release. “We are proud to be a place where viewers can come for a deep dive into the major crime stories happening across the country.”
Banfield also hosts her podcast, Drop Dead Serious, which launched in early 2025. She drops new episodes of the podcast daily.
Is Ashleigh Banfield married?
In 2014, Banfield met now-husband Chris Haynor on Match.com. They tied the knot in December 2017 in a surprise wedding, as those in attendance thought they were showing up to a 50th birthday party for the journalist.
Banfield was previously married to her first husband, Howard Gould, whom she shares two sons with, from 2004 to 2011.
Banfield, Weeknights, 10/9c, NewsNation