Drew Griffin, CNN Investigative Correspondent, Dead at 60

CNN correspondent Drew Griffin passed away on Saturday at the age of 60. Network representatives shared the news with Deadline, who reported that Griffin had been quietly battling cancer for quite a while. Fans are mourning Griffin while looking back on his immense body of work.

Griffin reportedly kept his illness private from his co-workers, but his family confirmed that he was suffering from cancer long before his passing. He continued working right up until the time of his death, and his reporting at CNN had earned him multiple awards including Emmys, Peabodys and Murrows. CNN CEO Chris Licht sent a note to all CNN staff on Monday to break the news.

“Drew’s death is a devastating loss to CNN and our entire profession,” it read. “A highly acclaimed investigative journalist, Drew’s work had an incredible impact and embodied the mission of this organization in every way.” Another memo from CNN executive Michael Bass went out to the investigative team specifically. Griffin’s official title was Senior Investigative Correspondent.

“Fearless and artful at the same time, he knew how to push a story forward to its limits, but also tell it in a way that would make everyone understand,” Bass wrote of Griffin. “How many times has he chased an unwilling interviewee? How many times has he spoken truth to power? How many times has he made a difference on something important… It was an honor to be his colleague and to be witness to his work and the ways it changed the world.”

Griffin was known for providing on-air stories for many different forms of CNN programming, as well as some of CNN’s original documentaries and special productions. One of his most significant stories was based on a year-long investigation into the Department of Veteran Affairs, which found that delays in medical care had quantifiably contributed to patients’ deaths. That 2013 report led to the V.A. secretary’s resignation and the passage of new federal legislation that changed how V.A. hospitals work around the country.

This was just one of Griffin’s impactful stories in a long and legendary career. Griffin’s most recent work has appeared on CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront. Griffin is survived by his wife Margot, three children and two grandchildren. You can stream some of Griffin’s documentaries on the CNN app or website as well as Discovery+.