Anderson Cooperhas addressed his exit from CBS'60 Minutes, explaining he wants to spend more time with his children.
As first reported by the online news siteBreaker, Cooper will be departing60 Minutesat the end of the current broadcast season, which ends in May. The veteran journalist has served as a correspondent on the long-running news program for two decades, in addition to hostingAnderson Cooper 360°on CNN.
"Being a correspondent at60 Minuteshas been one of the great honors of my career," Cooper said in a statement, per theAssociated Press. "I got to tell amazing stories, and work with some of the best producers, editors and camera crew in the business."
He continued, "For nearly 20 years, I've been able to balance my jobs at CNN and CBS, but I have little kids now, and I want to spend as much time with them as possible, while they still want to spend time with me."
Cooper has two sons born by surrogate, Wyatt Morgan Cooper (5) and Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper (4), whom he co-parents with his ex-partner, Benjamin Maisani.
The decision to step away from60 Minutescomes amidbehind-the-scenes dramaat CBS News. The network has seen several changes sinceBari Weisswas appointed editor-in-chief in October 2025, includingfirings,hirings, andpromotions.
60 Minutes, in particular, has been at the center of the drama. The show's long-time executive producer,Bill Owens, left in April 2025,stating,"It has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it." This came amid CBS's parent company, Paramount, seeking to merge with Skydance, which required government approval.
In December,60 Minutesmade headlines again after Weiss pulled a report from correspondentSharyn Alfonsion the El Salvador mega-prison CECOT due to a lack of an on-camera response from the White House. While the report later aired in January,Alfonsi criticized Weiss' initial decisionas politically motivated.
Paramount also settled a lawsuit withDonald Trumpafter thepresident sued CBS and60 Minutesfor what he claimed was a biased interview with his 2024 presidential election opponent,Kamala Harris.
Cooper's spokesperson told the AP that he had no further comment when asked whether his exit was related to Weiss' leadership. However, according to Oliver Darcy'sStatus newsletter,one source said Cooper wasn't aligned with the "rightward direction" of CBS News under Weiss and Paramount CEO David Ellison.
"He wasn't comfortable with the direction the show was taking under Bari, and is in a position where he doesn't have to put up with it," the source claimed.
In January,Status reportedthat Weiss was stalling one of Cooper's60 Minutesreports on the Trump administration accepting certain South African refugees.
"We're grateful to [Cooper] for dedicating so much of his life to this broadcast, and understand the importance of spending more time with family," CBS said in a statement. "60 Minuteswill be here if he ever wants to return."
Cooper will continue to host his show on CNN and will remain on60 Minutesfor the rest of the current season, with his final episode expected to air in May.
60 Minutes, Sundays, 7/6 c, CBS
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