Anderson Cooper is stepping away from CBS’s 60 Minutes after two decades as a correspondent, citing his desire to spend more time with his young sons as his primary reason for leaving the long-running news program.
The veteran journalist will depart at the end of the current broadcast season, which concludes in May, as first reported by Breaker. Cooper has served as a correspondent on 60 Minutes since the 2006-2007 television season while simultaneously hosting Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN, which began airing in 2003.
“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.”
Cooper has two sons born by surrogate: Wyatt Morgan Cooper, who is 5 years old, and Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper, who is 4 years old. He co-parents both children with his ex-partner, Benjamin Maisani.
“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 said in his statement.
Despite his departure announcement, Cooper will finish stories currently in production before his final exit. He appeared on a recent broadcast, introducing a segment from documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.
CBS News expressed appreciation for Cooper’s contributions to the program. The network said Cooper would be welcome to return to 60 Minutes in the future, leaving the door open for a potential comeback to the newsmagazine that premiered in 1968.
Cooper’s unique arrangement between CNN and CBS News allowed him to maintain prominent roles at both networks simultaneously. His CNN program, Anderson Cooper 360, has been a staple of the network’s primetime lineup for more than 20 years, providing in-depth coverage of major news events. His work on 60 Minutes included investigations, international reporting, and high-profile interviews that helped maintain the program’s reputation as television’s most prestigious news broadcast.
The announcement comes during a period of significant upheaval at CBS News and 60 Minutes specifically. Bill Owens, the show’s executive producer, left his position in April 2025. Owens stated it had become clear that he would not be allowed to run the show as he had always run it.
Owens’ departure occurred as Paramount, CBS’s parent company, was seeking a merger with Skydance. The corporate maneuvering coincided with other changes at the network following the appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News in October 2025.
In December, 60 Minutes faced controversy when Weiss pulled a report from correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi about El Salvador. The report later aired in January. Alfonsi criticized the decision as politically motivated.
The network also dealt with legal challenges from President Donald Trump, who sued CBS over an interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election campaign. Paramount settled the lawsuit with Trump for $16 million. The settlement did not include an apology from the network.
When asked whether Cooper’s exit was related to the changes in CBS News leadership, his spokesperson declined further comment beyond his official statement, according to the Associated Press. However, one source indicated Cooper was not aligned with the direction of CBS News.
Cooper’s departure represents a significant loss for 60 Minutes, which has relied on a roster of veteran correspondents to maintain its status as America’s most-watched news program. The show has weathered numerous changes over its more than five-decade run, adapting to shifts in the media landscape while preserving its commitment to long-form investigative journalism and in-depth storytelling.
The timing of Cooper’s announcement, coming months after Owens’ departure and amid ongoing corporate restructuring at Paramount, raises questions about the future direction of the storied newsmagazine. The program has faced increasing pressure to balance journalistic independence with corporate interests as traditional broadcast news operations navigate declining viewership and changing business models.
For Cooper, the decision to step back from one of his two major roles appears driven by personal priorities rather than professional disagreements. His focus on family time reflects a broader conversation in American workplaces about work-life balance, particularly for parents of young children. Cooper’s candid acknowledgment that he wants to maximize time with his sons while they still want to spend time with him resonates with parents navigating the tension between career demands and family needs.
Cooper’s arrangement between CNN and CBS has been unusual in modern broadcast journalism, where exclusive contracts typically prevent on-air personalities from appearing on competing networks. His ability to maintain prominent positions at both outlets simultaneously speaks to his stature in the industry and the value both networks placed on his reporting and anchoring skills.
As the current broadcast season continues through May, viewers can expect to see Cooper complete his remaining stories for 60 Minutes while he continues his daily duties at CNN. His departure marks the end of an era for the newsmagazine, though CBS’s statement leaves open the possibility that Cooper could return to the broadcast in the future if circumstances change.
