Anderson Cooper is stepping away from CBS’ “60 Minutes” after nearly two decades, saying he wants to focus more on raising his young children.
Cooper, who has contributed reports to the iconic Sunday newsmagazine since the 2006-2007 season while also anchoring CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” confirmed Monday that he will leave the broadcast at the end of the current season in May.
“Being a correspondent at ’60 Minutes’ has been one of the great honors of my career,” Cooper said in a statement. “I 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 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 appeared on Sunday’s episode introducing a short segment on filmmaker Ken Burns. While he is expected to finish out the season, it remains unclear whether that appearance marked one of his final regular contributions.
His departure comes at a tense moment for “60 Minutes,” long considered the gold standard of television journalism. The show has faced internal friction and outside scrutiny in recent months, particularly under the leadership of CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who took the helm last fall.
Questions immediately surfaced about whether Cooper’s exit had anything to do with the changes at the network. His spokesperson declined further comment Monday beyond the official statement.
Tensions at the broadcast flared in December when a planned segment by correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi examining the Trump administration’s immigration policy was pulled at the last minute. Weiss argued the report needed additional outreach to administration officials. Alfonsi reportedly pushed back privately, viewing the delay as politically motivated. The segment eventually aired about a month later with added administration responses, though no on-camera interviews.
The show has also been caught in legal crossfire. President Donald Trump sued “60 Minutes” over its handling of an interview with then-2024 Democratic nominee Kamala Harris. Paramount Global, CBS’s parent company, ultimately settled the lawsuit out of court, a move that reportedly frustrated some inside the newsroom.
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Despite the turbulence, CBS publicly praised Cooper’s tenure.
“We’re grateful to him for dedicating so much of his life to this broadcast, and understand the importance of spending more time with family,” the network said in a statement. “’60 Minutes’ will be here if he ever wants to return.”
Cooper’s dual role at CNN and CBS was long seen as a rare arrangement in modern media, allowing him to straddle cable and legacy broadcast platforms. His prime-time CNN show has been on the air since 2003, cementing him as one of the most recognizable faces in television news.
His decision to step back from “60 Minutes” marks the end of an era for the program as it navigates leadership changes, legal battles and a shifting media landscape.
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