Radhika Jones Steps Down As Editor Of Vanity Fair

India-West News Desk

NEW YORK, NY – After nearly eight years at the helm of Vanity Fair, Radhika Jones is stepping down as Editor-in-Chief. In a memo to staff on April 3, Jones explained her decision to leave, citing a sense of completion and a desire to pursue new goals centered around family, writing, and broader impact.

“Those of you who know me well know that I can be a little restless, once a mission is accomplished,” she wrote. “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.”

In her note, Jones reflected on her time leading the iconic magazine, describing how she regularly revisits the memo she wrote in 2017 when she first interviewed for the role. “Somewhat to my surprise, I realized that—with your help—I had accomplished virtually all of those goals,” she said, highlighting Vanity Fair’s transformation into a vibrant, modern publication with bold journalism, a dynamic video and studio presence, and wide digital reach.

Jones took pride in publishing acclaimed work from writers like Jesmyn Ward and James Pogue, and pointed to the 2020 Vanity Fair cover featuring Amy Sherald’s portrait of Breonna Taylor as a career highlight. “That piece of art would not exist in the world had we not commissioned it… publishing it remains one of the proudest moments of my whole career,” she said.

Condé Nast’s Chief Content Officer Anna Wintour praised Jones in a company-wide message. “Radhika, we are so grateful for your high standards of journalism, your fearlessness and your empathetic leadership. You will be much missed,” Wintour wrote, adding that Jones will assist with the leadership transition as the search for her successor begins.

Throughout her tenure, Jones led Vanity Fair through major cultural and industry shifts, from navigating the COVID-19 pandemic to expanding the brand’s digital and visual storytelling platforms. “We wrote our own playbook,” she noted, emphasizing the publication’s resilience and adaptability.

Born in New York to an American folk musician father and an Indian mother Marguerite Jones, Radhika Jones was raised in Cincinnati and Ridgefield, CT. She earned her BA from Harvard University and a PhD in English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, where she also taught. Her career spans Time, The New York Times, and The Paris Review. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son.

Jones concluded her memo with appreciation and optimism: “Know that I admire you all, I believe in you, and I will be rooting for you and for Vanity Fair.”