Former CNN anchor reveals: "My father beat me with a belt, my skin changed colors"

Former CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin revealed in a personal essay a difficult memory from her childhood, in which her father beat her with a belt until scars appeared on her body. Baldwin shared the story as part of an independent journalism project, describing feelings of panic and shame. She noted that the severe punishment was the last she received, after showing the scars to her mother.

Former CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin revealed in a personal essay a difficult memory from her childhood, in which her father beat her with a belt out of anger. Baldwin, who served as an anchor and correspondent for the network between 2008 and 2021, shared the story on her personal Substack blog, "Unraveling," as part of the independent journalism project "America, Tell Me Everything." She described a specific memory from elementary school, when her father used a belt as punishment. Baldwin wrote about feelings of panic and anxiety, and a half-defiance toward the expected pain. She recounted one notable punishment, in which she was beaten so many times that she woke up with black-and-blue scars on her buttocks. Baldwin clarified that this was her last punishment, after she showed the marks to her mother. She admitted that she thought about her mother's situation at the time, and wondered whether her mother was dealing with her own shame. Baldwin, who has no children, said the experience shaped how she thinks about family patterns and the need to break the cycle.