Sierra Leonean international journalist and former CNN anchor, Isha Sesay, has finally revealed the reason for her departure from the global news network, citing family obligations and the need to care for her late mother, Dr Kadie Sesay.

Speaking in an interview with CNN’s Larry Madowo, Sesay addressed long-standing public curiosity about her decision to leave the network. She explained that her exit was prompted by deeply personal circumstances following her mother’s health crisis.

According to Sesay, her mother suffered a catastrophic stroke on December 1, 2016, which left her in a semi-vegetative state for several years. Faced with this reality, she had to choose between her professional responsibilities and caring for her mother.

“People always ask why I left CNN,” she said. “I left because my mum had a stroke, and I was in a position where business decisions were being made that just did not align with my responsibilities to care for her.”

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Despite her departure, Sesay emphasised that she holds no resentment toward CNN, noting that she maintains “tremendous love and respect” for the network’s leadership and decision-makers at the time.

She further reflected on the emotional toll of her mother’s prolonged illness, describing it as a unique and difficult grieving process. “My mum was not present, not gone, but not present,” she explained, adding that her eventual passing last year came after nearly nine years of gradual loss.

Sesay noted that the experience has left her still navigating grief, describing it as an ongoing and complex journey.

Dr Kadie Sesay, a respected academic and politician, once served as the running mate of the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and remains a prominent figure in the country’s political history.

Sesay concluded by acknowledging that, despite the passage of time, coping with her mother’s loss continues to be challenging.