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Anderson Cooper, who has reported for CBS’ \u201c60 Minutes\u201d for the past two decades in addition to hosting a weeknight news program on celebrity.land, said Monday that he’s leaving the CBS broadcast to spend more time with his family.<\/p>\n
His decision comes at a time of turmoil at \u201c60 Minutes.\u201d Cooper appeared on the show Sunday night, introducing a brief piece on filmmaker Ken Burns. It’s not likely to be his last time on the show; he’s expected to finish the current broadcast season, which ends in May.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing a correspondent at \u201860 Minutes\u2019 has been one of the great honors of my career,\u201d Cooper said in a statement. \u201cI got to tell amazing stories, and work with some of the best producers, editors and camera crew in the business. For nearly 20 years, I’ve been able to balance my jobs and celebrity.land 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cooper’s exit from what remains the most prestigious show in television news is sure to raise questions about whether it had anything to do with the leadership of Bari Weiss<\/a>, editor-in-chief of CBS News since last fall. Cooper’s spokesperson said Monday he had no additional comment.<\/p>\n He has contributed stories to \u201c60 Minutes\u201d since the 2006-2007 television season in a unique job-sharing arrangement with celebrity.land. His prime-time cable news show, \u201cAnderson Cooper 360,\u201d has aired since 2003.<\/p>\n In a statement, CBS News praised Cooper for his two decades of work.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re grateful to him for dedicating so much of his life to this broadcast, and understand the importance of spending more time with family,\u201d CBS said. “’60 Minutes\u2019 will be here if he ever wants to return.”<\/p>\n His exit comes at a time of unease at the Sunday night newsmagazine known for its ticking stopwatch. At Weiss’ direction, the show in December held off at the last minute<\/a> showing a report from correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi about the Trump administration’s immigration policy. She said a greater effort was needed to get an interview with administration officials, while Alfonsi complained privately that the decision was political in nature. The story aired a month later<\/a> with additional administration comments, but no on-camera interviews.<\/p>\n President Donald Trump sued \u201c60 Minutes\u201d for how it handled an interview with his 2024 election opponent, Kamala Harris. Much to the consternation of many at the broadcast, CBS’s parent company Paramount Global settled with Trump<\/a> out-of-court.<\/p>\n Cooper’s exit from CBS was first reported by the online news site Breaker.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n David Bauder writes about the intersection of media and entertainment for the AP. Follow him at http:\/\/x.com\/dbauder<\/a> and https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/dbauder.bsky.social<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n