Radhika Jones has decided to leave Vanity Fair this spring after seven years as editor-in-chief, she told staff in a memo obtained by TheWrap on Thursday.
“At the end of every year, I look over the memo I wrote back in 2017 when I was interviewing to be the editor of Vanity Fair, as a way to remember the goals I had and check my progress. Last year, somewhat to my surprise, I realized that — with your help — I had accomplished virtually all of those goals,” she began her message. “Vanity Fair is a thriving modern publication with incisive, lively reporting; a vast and highly engaging social media audience; a studio business with terrific projects under our belt and in the works on FX, Amazon, Netflix and more; a video powerhouse; and an epic party machine, to which this year’s Oscar party (my seventh!) was testament. We are fully at home in our worlds.”
“It was gratifying, but also a little jarring, to feel like I could check off those boxes. And simultaneously I began to feel, more powerfully, the pull of new goals in my life, around family and friends and writing and other ways to make an impact,” Jones continued. “Those of you who know me well know that I can be a little restless, once a mission is accomplished. And I have always had a horror of staying too long at the party. So I’ve made the decision to leave Vanity Fair this spring.”
“It was a difficult decision, because it has been a tremendous privilege to lead this team. Our work has been a beacon. We have published incredible writing, by everyone from Jesmyn Ward to James Pogue,” she noted. “Just last night I went to the Whitney Museum and saw Amy Sherald’s painting of Breonna Taylor, hanging prominently in her new show, ‘American Sublime.’ That piece of art would not exist in the world had we not commissioned it for the cover of our September 2020 issue, and publishing it remains one of the proudest moments of my whole career — and one of many proud moments here at Vanity Fair.”
“I have loved working with you all, for all the reasons you know. We’ve come through a lot of challenges, from Covid on, for which we had no playbook; we wrote our own. I will always be grateful to David Remnick for bringing me in the door, to Anna Wintour and Roger Lynch for their support over the years, and to the Newhouse family for their stewardship of these magazines,” Jones concluded. “I will want to say goodbye and thank each of you individually over the days to come. For now, know that I admire you all, I believe in you, and I will be rooting for you and for Vanity Fair.”
CCO Anna Wintour then discussed Jones’ exit on a call with staff, saying, “Earlier this week, Radhika was describing to me her deep pride at her commission of Amy Sherald’s painting of Breonna Taylor for the September 2020 cover of Vanity Fair, and what a defining cultural moment that had been.”
“And that is exactly what I believe a great editor does – she defines the times. Radhika in her seven years at Vanity Fair has created those moments again and again, leading this incredible title to publish award winning investigative journalism and newsmaking covers from AOC to this month’s Gwyneth Paltrow,” she added. “Radhika has shown herself to be as much at home on the red carpet as sitting front row, and has graciously hosted the most legendary party in Hollywood. She has done it all with poise and wit and wisdom.”
“So, it is with the greatest respect and deepest regret that I need to tell you today Radhika has decided to step down from Vanity Fair. In the coming weeks, Radhika will be helping us with the transition as we start the search for a new editor,” Wintour shared. “We look forward to Vanity Fair’s exciting next chapter. Radhika, we are so grateful for your high standards of journalism, your fearlessness and your empathetic leadership. You will be much missed.”
Jones indeed joined VF as editor-in-chief back in 2018. Prior to that, she held editorial titles at The New York Times, The Paris Review, Time and The Moscow Times.
