Anderson Cooper to Exit 60 Minutes After Nearly Two Decades at CBS

The CNN anchor will not be renewing his contract with "60 Minutes," closing a chapter that began in 2007. In a statement, he revealed the personal reason behind his decision.

Anderson Cooper will be leaving "60 Minutes" after nearly 20 years with the long-running CBS News program. The journalist released a statement reflecting on his time on the show.

"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,” he said.

Alongside "60 Minutes," Cooper has also been anchoring CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360°," making him one of only a few journalists holding jobs in both cable and network television.

While he has decided to leave "60 Minutes," he will continue to work with CNN, having just renewed his contract with the network in December 2025. He will also remain co-host of CNN's New Year's Eve special with Andy Cohen.

In his statement, Cooper also revealed the reason behind the decision, which has everything to do with fatherhood.

According to the 57-year-old news anchor, who joined "60 Minutes" in 2007, "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 welcomed his two sons, Wyatt, 5, and Sebastian, 4, with his ex, Benjamin Maisani. Wyatt Morgan Maisani-Cooper was born via surrogate on April 27, 2020. He was named after Cooper's late father, Wyatt Emory Cooper. Two years later, Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper was born.

Cooper has spoken openly about the joys of fatherhood. “It feels like my life has actually begun,” he told People in June 2020. “This is a new level of love. It's unlike anything I've experienced.”

On his co-parenting relationship with Maisani, he acknowledged it's an "unusual setup" but credited Maisani for being a "great dad."

Cooper's departure from "60 Minutes" comes during a period of change at CBS News. There has been a shift in leadership following some high-profile exits in recent months, including the appointment of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief of CBS News and the departure of longtime executive producer Bill Owens.

Following Cooper's announcement, CBS also released a statement acknowledging his contributions:

“For more than two decades, Anderson Cooper has taken 60 Minutes viewers on journeys to faraway places, told us unforgettable stories, reported consequential investigations and interviewed many prominent figures. We're grateful to him for dedicating so much of his life to this broadcast, and understand the importance of spending more time with family. 60 Minutes will be here if he ever wants to return."

For now, the longtime journalist is continuing his work at CNN while focusing on what he has described as “the best time in my life” as a father.