Anderson Cooper is leaving CBS’s “60 Minutes” after nearly twenty years as a correspondent, saying he wants to devote more time to his young sons as the main reason for stepping away from the long-running news program.
The longtime broadcaster will exit at the conclusion of the current season in May, as first reported by Breaker. Cooper joined “60 Minutes” during the 2006–2007 season while also hosting CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” which debuted in 2003.
“Being a correspondent at 60 Minutes has been one of the great honors of my career,” Cooper said in a statement to 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 via surrogacy: Wyatt Morgan Cooper, age five, and Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper, age four. He co-parents them with his former partner, Benjamin Maisani. The two were together for nearly a decade before announcing their separation in 2018. In 2020, when Cooper—then single—revealed he had welcomed a child through a surrogate, he noted that he would be raising the child jointly with 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.
Although announcing his departure, Cooper will wrap up the stories currently underway before officially leaving. He recently appeared on air introducing a segment by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.
CBS News thanked Cooper for his work on the show, noting that he would be welcome to return to “60 Minutes” in the future, keeping the possibility of a comeback open for the newsmagazine, which has been on air since 1968.
Cooper’s split scheduling arrangement between CNN and CBS News allowed him to remain a major figure on both networks. His “60 Minutes” contributions included investigations, global reporting, and notable interviews that helped uphold the show’s reputation as television’s premier news broadcast.
The announcement comes during a time of major shifts at CBS News and specifically at “60 Minutes.” Bill Owens, the show’s executive producer, stepped down in April 2025 after saying it had become clear he would no longer be allowed to run the program as he always had.
Owens’ resignation coincided with Paramount, the parent company of CBS, pursuing a merger with Skydance. The corporate upheaval overlapped with additional internal changes following the appointment of Bari Weiss as CBS News’ editor-in-chief in October 2025.
In December 2025, “60 Minutes” sparked controversy when Weiss removed a report by correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi about El Salvador. The report aired the following month, and Alfonsi criticized the decision as politically driven.
The network also faced legal issues from President Donald Trump, who sued CBS over an interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential campaign. Paramount settled the lawsuit with Trump for $16 million, though the agreement did not include an apology.
When asked whether Cooper’s exit was connected to CBS News’ leadership changes, his spokesperson declined to comment beyond the official statement. One source suggested Cooper was not aligned with the direction CBS News was heading.
CBS News leaders had actually been hoping to broaden Cooper’s involvement rather than see him leave. Weiss reportedly considered bringing Cooper on as a full-time CBS News figure, including discussions about having him anchor “CBS Evening News” — a job ultimately awarded to Tony Dokoupil. The failed negotiations make his departure especially notable, with one industry source calling it “another black eye” for the new CBS News leadership.
Cooper’s exit marks a major loss for “60 Minutes,” which has long depended on its veteran correspondents to uphold its status as America’s most-watched news program. The show has endured numerous changes over its fifty-plus years, adapting to media shifts while maintaining its focus on in-depth reporting and long-form investigative journalism.
The timing of Cooper’s announcement — coming months after Owens’ resignation and amid continuing corporate restructuring at Paramount — has fueled speculation about the program’s future direction. The show has faced growing pressure to balance editorial independence with corporate priorities as legacy broadcast news grapples with declining audiences and evolving business models.
As the season continues through May, viewers will still see Cooper finish his remaining “60 Minutes” pieces while continuing his regular CNN duties. His departure signals the end of an era for the iconic newsmagazine.
