Moment CNN contributor’s young son crashes tense Epstein discussion live on-air

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CNN correspondent Brian Stelter’s son has stolen the spotlight after providing a light-hearted moment during an intense on-air discussion.

During a live CNN segment Sunday, the 39-year-old chief media analyst was discussing President Donald Trump’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, after the newspaper published the president’s alleged birthday card to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Stelter and his colleague, Jessica Dean, each sat in front of a neutral blue background, which seemed to be the setting of a TV studio. However, Stelter was actually doing his segment from home, which was made obvious when his five-year-old son’s face appeared in the right corner of the screen.

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The five-year-old had a mischievous grin on his face during his brief moment on camera. While the child quickly moved out of the shot, Stelter tried to remain unfazed by the moment and continued his conversation with Dean.

Dean also had a subtle smile when the five-year-old appeared in the broadcast. However, she maintained a straight face during the rest of the discussion.

Brian Stelter’s five-year-old son appeared in his live CNN broadcast Sunday (CNN)

Brian Stelter’s five-year-old son appeared in his live CNN broadcast Sunday (CNN)

Once the TV hosts wrapped up their conversation about Trump, Dean casually mentioned Stelter’s son’s appearance in the broadcast.

“Alright, Brian Stelter, thanks to you,” she said during the broadcast. “And I think you had a little helper with you, too, so give our thanks to him.”

Stelter replied: “I apologize for my five-year-old. It's bedtime here at the Stelter house.”

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However, Dean smiled and reassured her colleague that his son’s on-air appearance wasn’t an issue. “We’re a family show. It’s always nice to have some extra hands,” she added.

One person called out the segment on X, writing: “@brianstelter Looks like you had your assistant at your side with @jessicadean @CNN.”

Stelter responded: “LOL, yes, I tried my best not to break out laughing when he snuck into the camera shot.” He also shared a screenshot of the CNN discussion with his son’s face in it.

Many viewers told Stelter via X that they were delighted by his son’s TV moment.

“Loved it! We need a laugh now and then. He is adorable, and it happens when you work from home,” one wrote.

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“Honestly, who needs bloopers when you’ve got live chaos?” another agreed. “Keep the surprises coming—at least it’s more entertaining than the news today.”

Stelter isn’t the first TV host to have his segment crashed by his kids, especially when working from home.

During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Jimmy Fallon was interrupted by his daughter while interviewing Jennifer Garner from home for his Tonight Show. At the time, he was preparing to duet with Garner – with Fallon playing the guitar and the actor playing the saxophone – when one of his two daughters walked in.

While Fallon’s daughter wasn’t seen in the frame, she can be heard asking: “Daddy, how do I change my character?”

Fallon responded: “You’ve got to give me five minutes, OK, bud?”