Andy Cohen Felt Anderson Cooper Was 'Being Squeezed Out' Ahead of '60 Minutes' Exit, Source Claims: 'Segments Were Micromanaged' 

Hollywood gossip columnist Rob Shuter reported in his "Naughty But Nice" Substack on Monday, February 23, that journalist Anderson Cooper’s close friend and TV exec Andy Cohen urged him to walk away from 60 Minutes due to a shifting political environment at CBS News.

Cooper stated he is leaving to focus on his CNN program Anderson Cooper 360 and spend more time with his two young children, but sources told Shuter that’s not the whole story.

Sources reported to Shuter that Cohen — host and executive producer of Bravo's Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and the creator/executive producer of The Real Housewives franchise — encouraged Cooper to leave, feeling he was being "squeezed out" and "second-guessed" by new management.

In an exclusive statement to OK!, Shuter noted: "Andy and Anderson are best friends. Plus, no one understands CBS better than these two. It was time to go, Andy was a good friend helping lead the way."

Reports suggested tension under the leadership of new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, with some insiders claiming Cooper felt "pushed" due to extreme script scrutiny and a new "anti-woke" pivot at the network.

“Andy felt Anderson was being squeezed out,” a media source told Shuter. “Segments were micromanaged. His judgment was second-guessed. It became untenable.”

Another source claimed, “Anderson wasn’t treated with the respect he’d earned over decades. Andy saw it clearly and told him to protect his legacy.”

Cohen has been a vocal critic of CBS News since Weiss took over and has publicly questioned the new editorial tone at the venerable news network.

In response to a "mission statement" video by anchor Tony Dokoupil — which some speculated was scripted by Weiss — Cohen commented on Instagram, "Listening too much to experts? WT-," after Dokoupil claimed “legacy media” put too much weight on "academics or elites.”

Dokoupil replied, “Andy, I love ya. But can you really not think of any examples where academic advice turned out narrow or bad? I basically gave you a multiple-choice list. It’s possible you were living outside or above the issues I mention.”

Insiders insist Cohen was pivotal in Cooper's decision to exit 60 Minutes, reportedly having told the television journalist, "Why stay somewhere you're not wanted?"

Beyond Weiss specifically, Cohen has slammed the network for other recent changes, including the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

“He didn’t just quit,” another told Shuter about Cooper. “He was pushed — and Andy helped him see he deserved better.”

Just days after his announced departure, a long-delayed segment by Cooper debunking President Donald Trump’s claims about white genocide in South Africa finally aired on 60 Minutes on Sunday, February 22.