Anderson Cooper has declined to sign a new contract with 60 Minutes and will depart the flagship CBS News show at the end of the current season.
Cooper, who also anchors news for CNN, has been a correspondent for 60 Minutes since 2006.
In a statement shared with Deadline, Cooper said, “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.
“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’s decision to depart 60 Minutes comes at a tumultuous time for the show. Last month, CBS News pushed back at a report claiming editor-in-chief Bari Weiss held one of Cooper’s stories that was critical of Donald Trump’s policies.
The disputed segment by Cooper was about the Trump administration’s plan to accept South African refugees, according to Status.
Trump has often repeated a debunked conspiracy theory that a genocide of white people was taking place in South Africa and set out plans to prioritize white South Africans' visa claims last October.
Sources told the newsletter the as-yet unaired segment was viewed by producers in December, with Weiss giving “extensive editorial feedback.”
The newsletter, produced by a former CNN media reporter, also suggested the story was “all but guaranteed to provoke Trump” and that there had been an “abnormal” level of review.
However, a source close to CBS News has denied the claims and insists the story is still being worked on.
“Bari Weiss did not hold the story,” the source said in a statement to The Independent at the time. “The story was already going through our standard, rigorous editorial review led by executive producer Tanya Simon, which led to multiple screenings.
“The story was not held, it's still in action and in reporting stages with the team,” they continued. “Tanya made the decision to have the team continue with their reporting.”
A previous 60 Minutes report critical of Trump was pulled in December, sparking backlash behind the scenes.
The other segment focused on the mistreatment of migrants sent by the United States to CECOT, a prison in El Salvador. The 13-minute clip was set to be broadcast in December before it was withdrawn before air.
Weiss, appointed as CBS News editor-in-chief last year, attempted to justify the decision in an email to staff at Christmas, arguing it was necessary to “win back” the trust of Americans disillusioned by network news.
However, Sharyn Alfonsi, the reporter who produced the CECOT segment, wrote in a leaked email that she believes the real reason for the story being axed was “corporate censorship.”
Sources at the broadcaster later told The Independent that staff were ready to “revolt” over the scandal. One person even described it as a “holy f***ing dumpster fire.”
The Independent has reached out to Cooper and CBS for further comment.
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