Anderson Cooper has long been synonymous with CNN, as he joined the network in 2001 before landing his own show – Anderson Cooper 360° – in 2003. Right now, the network is facing potential changes due to the Paramount Skydance/Warner Bros. Discovery merger. If that agreement is solidified, Paramount would take ownership of CNN, and it’s been rumored that CBS News’ Bari Weiss would run it. Weiss and Cooper previously worked together, and the former allegedly doesn’t want to again. With that, Cooper’s reportedly making plans.
For context, Weiss and Cooper previously worked together on 60 Minutes during the final stretch of the latter’s tenure on that show. Cooper exited the news magazine series this past May, citing a desire to spend more time with his kids as his reason for stepping down as a correspondent. It was later reported by The New York Times, however, that Cooper told colleagues at CNN that he refused to work with Weiss, who was named the head of CBS News in late 2025. Reps for Cooper have neither confirmed nor denied that.
