ENTERTAINMENTAnderson Cooper's Shocking Announcement: Journalist Quits '60 Minutes' After Nearly 20 Years Amid CBS Shake-Up
Anderson Cooper confirmed he's leaving CBS' '60 Minutes.'
Feb. 16 2026, Published 6:41 p.m. ET
Anderson Cooper is done with 60 Minutes.
The journalist has decided not to renew his contract, meaning this season of the CBS News program will be his last. Cooper has been on the long-running series for nearly two decades.
Anderson Cooper confirmed he's leaving '60 Minutes.'
The outlet that broke the news said the dad-of-two, 58, wants to focus more on his children and his role at CNN, the network he recently signed a new contract with.
Cooper's pieces will continue to run for several more months, but he will not be present when a new season kicks off in the fall.
Anderson Cooper Says Goodbye to '60 Minutes'
The journalist said he wants to 'spend as much time with' his kids as possible.
Shortly after the report was revealed, the podcast host issued a formal statement.
"Being a correspondent at 60 Minutes has been one of the great honors of my career. I got to tell amazing stories, and work with some of the best producers, editors, and camera crews in the business," the TV star shared. "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."
'60 Minutes' Has Been in Hot Water
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Paramount paid Donald Trump $16 million after he sued them for editing Kamala Harris' interview.
The announcement comes amid ongoing drama with 60 Minutes, as in 2024, Donald Trump sued the program over editing they did to an interview with Kamala Harris that aired prior to the presidential election.
In the end, Paramount forked over $16 million, with many believing it was made to help complete seal the deal for Skydance to buy the company.
Skydance and Paramount's merger was approved in 2025.
The situation resulted in notable staffers such as 60 Minutes' executive producer Bill Owens resigning.
"Our parent company, Paramount, is trying to complete a merger. The Trump administration must approve it. Paramount began to supervise our content in new ways. None of our stories has been blocked, but Bill felt he lost the independence that honest journalism requires," correspondent Scott Pelley explained at the time.
The merger was completed in August 2025.
'60 Minutes' Segment Was Cut at the Last Minute
CBS faced backlash after they cut a segment about deportations to El Salvador just a few days before it was set to air.
The news program was also met with immense backlash after CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss — who was hired in October 2025 — abruptly scrapped a segment about controversial deportations to El Salvador.
The segment's correspondent, Sharyn Alfonsi, slammed the decision, stating, "Government silence is a statement, not a VETO. If the administration's refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a 'kill switch'' for any reporting they find inconvenient."
