NEED TO KNOW
- Anderson Cooper is departing 60 Minutes after nearly two decades as a correspondent, citing his desire to spend more time with his two young sons.
- His final segment, a profile of documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, aired on February 15, ending an Emmy-winning run at CBS.
- The exit represents the first major on-air shakeup under new CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, whose tenure has been marked by controversy.
After juggling two networks for nearly two decades, Anderson Cooper has decided one might be enough.
The CNN anchor confirmed he’s leaving 60 Minutes when his current contract expires, ending a nearly 20-year run that began during the 2006-07 season. His final segment—a profile of documentary filmmaker Ken Burns—aired Sunday night (watch below), and just like that, one of TV news’ most recognizable faces is signing off from the Sunday newsmagazine.
“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 crews in the business.”
But here’s where it gets personal: “For nearly twenty 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 is dad to Wyatt, 5, and Sebastian, 4, both welcomed via surrogate and co-parented with his former partner Benjamin Maisani. It’s a sentiment that hits differently when you’re pushing 60 and your kids are still in the “Dad is cool” phase.
The timing is eyebrow-raising, though. Cooper’s departure marks the first major on-air exit under new CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, whose October arrival has been nothing short of turbulent. In December, Weiss infamously pulled a 60 Minutes report about El Salvador’s CECOT prison—where the Trump administration has sent deportees—just hours before it was set to air. Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi accused Weiss of making a “political” decision rather than an editorial one.
The segment eventually ran in January, but the damage to morale was done. Reports also surfaced that a Cooper segment about the Trump administration’s refugee policy faced “an unusual amount of editorial scrutiny” under Weiss’s watch.
Cooper isn’t leaving TV entirely. He renewed his CNN deal late last year and will continue anchoring Anderson Cooper 360, hosting the Sunday newsmagazine The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, and producing his podcast All There Is. That’s still a full plate, but at least it’s all under one roof.
During his 60 Minutes tenure, Cooper racked up multiple Emmys, including awards for his profile of jazz prodigy Joey Alexander and a story about African prison inmates whose music won a Grammy. Not a bad legacy to leave behind—even if the exit feels a bit more complicated than the official statement lets on.
