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CNN political analyst Kasie Hunt experienced “13-minute sudden labor” in the bathroom of her home on Friday as she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, she has announced.
The New York Post reported Saturday that Hunt “revealed her second child with husband Matthew Mario Rivera weighed in at 8 pounds, 4 ounces after Wednesday’s unplanned delivery.” The outlet cited a report in PEOPLE magazine.
“We were expecting her to arrive via a scheduled C-section on Thursday morning. She had other plans!” the two parents told PEOPLE in a statement. “We are thrilled to announce the birth of our baby girl, Grey Hunt Rivera. Proud big brother [Mars Hunt, 3½] can’t stop talking about his new baby sister.”
“Grey is already showing us her independent streak,” she quipped. “Dad sprang into action and delivered baby Grey on the bathroom floor. We are so grateful to the 911 operators and the DC Fire & EMS team,” the couple told PEOPLE.
CNN's Kasie Hunt Welcomes Second Baby at Home in the Bathroom After '13-Minute Sudden Labor' https://t.co/kyjgOOhcTm
— People (@people) March 3, 2023
Thank you @abbydphillip and all my wonderful @CNN colleagues for this lovely welcome for baby Grey ♥️ 📺 pic.twitter.com/8QYXm29HOZ
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) March 3, 2023
“Step-by-step, they talked us through the incredibly intense moments right after she was born and as she took her first breaths.” The couple added: “Thank you to the firefighters and paramedics on the scene who treated mom and baby at home and then brought us safely to Sibley Hospital in Washington.”
“It’s a day we’ll never forget! “We’re so excited about life as a family of four — and reminded it’s going to be that much more unpredictable!” they added.
In August 2021, upon commencing her new role at CNN, Kasie Hunt disclosed that she had been diagnosed with a noncancerous brain tumor. As reported by The Post, she underwent a four-hour operation in October 2021 to have the tumor removed.
Hunt was recruited to CNN by former CEO Jeff Zucker, who intended to feature her prominently on the network’s high-profile roster for its streaming service, CNN+. However, Zucker resigned after it was revealed that he had been involved in a consensual relationship with Allison Gollust, his top marketing officer, for several years. Furthermore, CNN+ struggled to attract subscribers and was shut down less than a month after its launch.
CNN has been struggling with on-air talent and to recapture a larger share of audience for years, finishing behind liberal rival MSNBC and far behind the right-leaning Fox News Channel.
Most recently, former prime-time host Don Lemon has been a challenge for the network after he was moved to a morning show co-hosting gig with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlin Collins.
Lemon was slated to host a major program last month but was pulled from gig after he made what made were widely regarded as sexist remarks directed at GOP presidential contender Nikki Haley — comments that got him booted from his normal on-air duties for days.
The former prime-time solo host was originally planned to serve as moderator for an “Agents of Change” event in New York last week to commemorate Black History Month, but his previous offensive comments towards Haley and women, in general, tainted his public image and resulted in his removal as moderator from the event, according to TMZ.
“We’re told Don was worried about his current news coverage overtaking the event, and our sources tell us event coordinators at Douglas Elliman agreed … so he bowed out,” the outlet reported, adding he was replaced by real estate broker John Gomes.
Lemon criticized Haley for endorsing “mandatory mental competency tests” for politicians who are 75 years or older, suggesting that Haley was no longer in her “prime.” Lemon referenced “Google” to support his contention that Haley, who is 51 years old, will face a difficult challenge in winning the presidency, as women are only considered to be in their prime during their “20s, 30s, and 40s.”
“I’m just saying what the facts are. Google it. Everybody at home, when is a woman in her prime, it says 20s, 30s, and 40s,” he said to morning ho co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlin Collins. “And I’m just saying Nikki Haley should be careful about saying that politicians are not in their prime, and they need to be in their prime when they serve. Because she wouldn’t be in her prime according to Google or whatever it is.”
The report said that Harlow left the set “furious” for a bathroom break and was followed by Collins.
“Chris isn’t happy and he has spoken to Don a couple of times today,” a source told The Post. “Don knows it can’t happen again.”
