Three months after giving birth to twins, CNN’s Kyra Phillips is back on the air. Phillips, who anchors CNN’s 9-11am hours and partner, Fox News correspondent John Roberts, gave birth to twins Kellen and Sage on March 15.
“Everybody told me I would feel anxiety,” Phillips told us as she got off the air this morning. “I started tearing up yesterday as I was holding the kids. What helped me was everyone being so supportive, especially the moms here, knowing how hard this is, but knowing how much we love our jobs.”
Phillips got a reminder of the family business yesterday when she went into the nursery to check on the twins. Roberts, who joined Fox News from CNN and moved to Atlanta earlier this year to be with Phillips, had wrapped the infants in blankets supporting his home team. (Right)
“He’s an incredible father,” says Phillips. “Not for a moment can I say he has not done his part. He has done his part and more.” Roberts has two adult children from his previous marriage who have been to Atlanta to meet their new siblings.
Roberts and Phillips have been dating for two years and got engaged last year. “We’ll figure out the
best time to [get married]. We wanted to start a family,” says Phillips, who turns 43 in August. “You know we don’t have all the time in the world!”
Roberts’ boss FNC chairman Roger Ailes sent “two beautiful Waterford crystal rocking chairs.” While Phillips’ boss, CNN Worldwide president Jim Walton sent two Tiffany rattles. “We have very classy bosses,” Phillips tells TVNewser, laughing.
Kellen, which means mighty warrior in Celtic, (“And boy is he a mighty warrior,”) and Sage, (“I’ve always loved the name… she looks like a little Buddha,”) will have working parents — who, like most families, will have to create that work-life balance. In this case, the work could take both parents on the road, in a moment’s notice.
For now, Phillips is relishing motherhood. The twins have been to the High Museum of Art and on golf outings with mom and dad. (Kellen with Kyra, at left)
“I’ve been all about my work, since my twenties,” says Phillips, who has held local TV news jobs in Texas, Wisconsin, New Orleans and Los Angeles, before joining CNN in 1999.
“It’s so fulfilling that I can do both — that I can have a great job that I love. I feel complete.”