Anderson Cooper has addressed his exit from CBS’ 60 Minutes, explaining he wants to spend more time with his children.
As first reported by the online news site Breaker, Cooper will be departing 60 Minutes at 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 hosting Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN.
“Being a correspondent at 60 Minutes has been one of the great honors of my career,” Cooper said in a statement, per the Associated 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 from 60 Minutes comes amid behind-the-scenes drama at CBS News. The network has seen several changes since Bari Weiss was appointed editor-in-chief in October 2025, including firings, hirings, and promotions.
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.
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In December, 60 Minutes made headlines again after Weiss pulled a report from correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi on 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 decision as politically motivated.
Paramount also settled a lawsuit with Donald Trump after the president sued CBS and 60 Minutes for 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.
“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 Minutes will be here if he ever wants to return.”
Cooper will continue to host his show on CNN and will remain on 60 Minutes for 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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