Joy Reid reveals the untold reason she endured over a decade of frustration at MSNBC, linked to a single encounter on day one .QN

In a bombshell revelation at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival on August 7, 2025, Joy Reid, the former host of MSNBC’s The ReidOut, peeled back the curtain on her tumultuous tenure at the network, exposing a decade-long struggle marked by pay disparities, workplace frustrations, and a fierce loyalty from an unexpected ally—Rachel Maddow, MSNBC’s trailblazing openly lesbian anchor.

Reid’s candid remarks about earning just 10% of what some fellow hosts made, despite her show’s higher ratings, sent shockwaves through the industry. But the real story—the biggest untold saga inside MSNBC—lies in the profound connection between Reid and Maddow, a bond that began on Reid’s first day at the network and culminated in Maddow’s defiant on-air defense when Reid was unceremoniously ousted in February 2025.

A Fateful First Day

It was over a decade ago when Joy Reid, a rising star in political commentary, walked into MSNBC’s bustling headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. As she navigated the unfamiliar corridors, she had a chance encounter with Rachel Maddow, already a powerhouse at the network. Maddow, the first openly lesbian anchor in cable news history, was known for her razor-sharp intellect and commanding presence.

According to sources close to Reid, the meeting was brief but electric—a moment of mutual recognition between two women who understood the weight of being trailblazers in a cutthroat industry. “Joy always said that Rachel saw her, really saw her, that day,” a former MSNBC staffer revealed. “It wasn’t just a handshake. It was like Rachel knew Joy was going to fight battles she’d already faced.”

That fleeting moment planted the seeds of a quiet but unbreakable alliance. Reid, a Black woman breaking barriers in a predominantly white, male-dominated field, and Maddow, a lesbian who had shattered glass ceilings of her own, shared an unspoken understanding of the challenges they faced. Both were outsiders in their own way, navigating a network that often seemed more comfortable with the status quo than with their bold, unapologetic voices.

The Curse of Competency

Reid’s revelations at Martha’s Vineyard painted a stark picture of her time at MSNBC. “The curse of competency means you’re the best person at what you do,” she told Jotaka Eaddy, her interviewer and friend. “You know more than everyone else because you’ve had to do more work and more research to get where you are, and so therefore you’re the one everybody calls.”

Yet, despite her undeniable talent and The ReidOut’s strong ratings, Reid was paid a mere fraction—reportedly $3 million annually—compared to some male counterparts earning up to $30 million. “I was paid a tenth of the salary of people who did literally my same job,” she said, her voice tinged with both resignation and defiance.

The disparity wasn’t just financial. Reid spoke of working longer hours, putting in more overtime, and carrying the burden of being the network’s go-to voice on issues of race, justice, and culture. “They get the presumption of brilliance,” she said of her male, non-Black colleagues, invoking the “Elon Musk presumption” where certain figures are lauded as geniuses despite lesser effort. “They work less hours and make more than us, get bigger raises, more opportunities, and more grace. This is the world we live in.”

The Network’s Shakeup and Reid’s Exit

The simmering tensions came to a head in February 2025, when MSNBC, newly rebranded as MS NOW, underwent a dramatic overhaul under new president Rebecca Kutler. The ReidOut was canceled, and Reid was let go entirely, a move that stunned the industry. The decision was part of a broader shakeup that saw other non-white hosts, including Alex Wagner and Katie Phang, lose their shows, though they remained with the network in reduced roles.

Enter Rachel Maddow, the only MSNBC anchor to publicly challenge the network’s decision. On her February 24, 2025, broadcast of The Rachel Maddow Show, Maddow didn’t hold back. “There is no colleague for whom I have had more affection and more respect than Joy Reid,” she declared, her voice trembling with emotion. “I love everything about her. I have learned so much from her. I do not want to lose her as a colleague here at MSNBC, and personally, I think it is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door.”

Maddow’s rebuke went further, calling out the “indefensible” pattern of canceling shows hosted by MSNBC’s only two non-white primetime anchors. “That feels worse than bad, no matter who replaces them,” she said, highlighting the racial implications of the network’s decisions. Her words were a rare act of defiance from a star anchor, especially one reportedly earning $25 million a year after a $5 million pay cut.

The Biggest Untold Story

The biggest untold story inside MSNBC isn’t just Reid’s pay disparity or her abrupt exit. It’s the enduring bond between Reid and Maddow—a relationship that weathered the network’s internal politics, pay inequities, and corporate machinations. Sources say Maddow was a mentor and advocate for Reid behind closed doors, pushing for her to be given the resources and respect she deserved. “Rachel was Joy’s shield,” an insider claimed. “She’d go to bat for her in meetings, arguing that Joy’s voice was essential to the network’s identity.”

When Reid was fired, Maddow’s on-air protest wasn’t just a professional courtesy; it was personal. The two had forged a friendship rooted in their shared experiences as outsiders who challenged MSNBC’s liberal but often homogenous establishment. Maddow, who had scaled back her own hosting duties in 2022 to focus on projects like her bestselling book Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism, saw in Reid a kindred spirit who refused to soften her edges.

The Aftermath

Reid has since pivoted to The Joy Reid Show on YouTube, where she continues to offer incisive commentary on politics and culture. But the scars of her MSNBC tenure remain. “She knows where the bodies are buried,” a source close to Reid told RadarOnline, hinting that she may yet reveal more about the network’s inner workings. Meanwhile, Maddow’s outspoken criticism has left her own future at MSNBC uncertain, with some speculating that her public rebuke could strain her relationship with management.

The untold story of Reid and Maddow is one of loyalty, resilience, and the quiet battles fought behind the scenes at a network struggling to balance its progressive image with corporate realities. As Reid herself put it, “We each have our own way of dealing with it, but unfortunately we all have to deal with it.” For Reid and Maddow, that meant standing together—two women who, despite the odds, refused to let the world they live in define them.