Isha Sesay’s Instagram profile describes her as a “proud mother,” a “CEO,” and an “award-winning journalist.” But Sesay said many people still primarily know her as “the CNN girl.”
Mr. Sesay spent more than 13 years as a prominent anchor on the network’s international channels. While at CNN, she interviewed world leaders, celebrities, and media figures, including former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, actor Matt Damon, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. She left the network in 2018 without publicly explaining why, sparking years of speculation.
“People still stop me on the street…When I go through the airport or walk down the street in Los Angeles, they say, ‘Oh my god, you’re the CNN girl,'” she told CNN’s Larry Madowo in an interview in New York in early April for the network’s African Voices program. She added that she was “incredibly proud” when the moment happened.
Sesay has never publicly discussed why he left CNN. She told Madowo, “This is my first time speaking on camera. People always ask me, ‘Why did you leave CNN?'” …That’s what people are supposed to ask at parties…I left home because my mother had a stroke. And I was effectively in a position where business decisions were made that were inconsistent with my responsibility to care for her. So I decided to leave.
“I have no hard feelings towards the people in that building. I have a lot of love and respect for the decision-makers at the time. It’s just that at some point you have to put yourself first… That’s why I left… There was no major scandal.”
In December 2016, Sesay’s mother, Dr. Kadi Sesay, a Sierra Leone politician and women’s rights activist, suffered a fatal stroke and was put into a coma. She passed away in June 2025. Sesay said his mother was left in a “semi-vegetative state” after a stroke and he cared for her for nine years.
“I’m still getting over the death of my mother…It’s very sad on so many levels that a woman of such stature, heart and drive was virtually incapacitated and succumbed to a bad stroke…She was about to take the next big step by becoming the first woman to become the vice-presidential candidate of Sierra Leone when she collapsed. So these are still difficult times,” she said.
After her mother suffered a stroke, Sesay realized “the importance of bonding and having offspring.” She said she had always wanted to be a mother, but her high-profile job at the time put her off.
“When I got to CNN, it was just about work. I was just thinking about the next assignment, the next breaking news, the next convention, the next awards ceremony, the red carpet, and I kept putting my life on the back burner for the brand, which was a great opportunity… But then when my mom got sick, it was like a near death, and when you see the end of your life, you wonder what all this is for,” she said.
Sesay decided to become a single mother in her 40s. “I was like, ‘Please tell me the website,'” she said, referring to the sperm donation website. “Let me find a donor. Let me do it myself,” she said.
In January 2023, after two failed in vitro fertilization (IVF) attempts, Sesay announced that she was pregnant at the age of 46, and the following month she gave birth to a daughter, Naima Yasmin Kadi Sesay.
Some people on social media were supportive and congratulated. Others criticized her decision.
“I’m surprised at the depth of people’s feelings about this decision, some who don’t know me, some who’ll never meet me. And I’m surprised at the depth of people’s feelings about this decision, some who don’t know me, some who’ll never meet me. And I know that my choice to have a child on my own is very divisive for some people, and for some… And the funny thing is, some people take this as if I were an insult or a rejection of men. It’s not a rejection of anyone, it’s an acceptance of my own autonomy,” she said.
“I stand as an advocate telling women to choose their own path,” she added. “The idea that people would say to me, ‘You’re in a bad marriage, you’re a bad couple, you should have kids,’ seems ridiculous to me in this age of science and progress… It’s not for everyone, and I’m not evangelizing it. I’m just saying it worked for me.”
Now a mother of a toddler, Sesay juggles that role with her job as CEO of Areya Media (formerly HealthyMedia), the parent company of okaafrica and okaplayer. The company is a digital media platform focused on uplifting global black culture and the African diaspora. OKplayer was founded in 1999 by musician Questlove and author Angela Nissel. Media entrepreneurs Vanessa Ruble and Ginny Sass launched sister site HealthyAfrica in 2010.
Sesay is the first woman to hold the CEO role in the organization’s history and has rebranded the company since taking over in March 2021.
“When I came here, these were essentially just digital platforms that did some live programming, did some editing, and had social features,” she said. “Our social has grown. We’ve built a newsletter department. We’ve built a studio department. Now we’re doing a podcast. We’re doing a big activation right now.”
Live activations are interactive events aimed at celebrating diaspora cultures and strengthening connections with the brand. The company is hosting a series of events in New York and Miami.
“I hope you see the results of what I’ve been doing for five years. The brand… I’m happier than ever,” she explained.
One of the company’s podcasts, “The Almanac of Rap,” won the Webby Award for Best Music Podcast in 2023 and the Experimental and Innovative Podcast Award in 2025.
“My love for news continues, but even sitting where I am now as CEO of Aleya…this is a good place to be,” she said.
Sesay still watches the news every day and says he is clearly disappointed in the way the continent is being covered. She said: “I think there’s still a deep-seated bias where people are still happy to talk about Africa’s rise in terms of culture and music and fashion and celebrate their artistry. But I don’t think there’s enough nuance being brought to the telling of the continent’s story yet.”
She cited the examples of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where conflict and displacement have occurred, and Sudan, where years of violence have led to what the World Health Organization calls “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.” “Do you know?” asked Sesay.
She added, “I think the news networks feel that now that they have creators coming online to tell these stories, maybe they have a pass.”
While Sesay admires social media creators, she worries that their influence may ultimately be more harmful than helpful, especially as the platforms help share information during times of conflict and crisis. She added that she is concerned about how many people go online simply using tools like Google and ChatGPT, without making it clear that they are expressing a personal opinion and presenting their opinion as if it were objective, unbiased reporting.
According to Gallup, a global analysis firm known for its public opinion polls, trust in the media in the United States in 2025 will reach an all-time low of 28%, down from 31% the previous year. Despite this, Sesay says he remains optimistic about journalism.
“The need for truth, the need for facts, the need for trustworthy reporting is here to stay. We have to continue to evolve to meet people where they are… We need news. We need to know what’s going on. We don’t live in a bubble, we’re more integrated and global than ever. So I’m not worried about journalism.”
Mr. Sesay, 50, is a philanthropist and United Nations goodwill ambassador who has already made a name for himself in the world of journalism. And with Areya Media, she hopes to continue giving her voice to the industry. When talking about her accomplishments, Sesay says she wants the world to remember her as “the person who made a difference, who supported, encouraged and provided opportunities for others.”
Sesay has already left a lasting mark on a new generation of African broadcasters and reporters like Madowo. Madowo said part of the reason he became a journalist was “because I saw her do it.”
