Yeah, it’s officially the end of an era. Anderson Cooper announced just yesterday (February 16, 2026) that he is leaving 60 Minutes after a nearly 20-year run.
It’s a huge move for both him and CBS. Here is the breakdown of why it’s happening and the drama behind the scenes.
1. The Official Reason: Family First
In his statement, Anderson was pretty open about the “why.” He’s been pulling double duty at CNN (hosting AC360) and CBS (60 Minutes) since 2006.
- The “Dad” Factor: He mentioned that he has young children now and wants to spend as much time with them as possible while they’re still young.
- Burnout: Juggling two major network contracts for two decades is almost unheard of in the industry. He basically decided it was time to simplify.
2. The Unofficial Reason: The “Bari Weiss” Factor
While Anderson cited family, media insiders are pointing to major turmoil at CBS News.
- New Leadership: In late 2025, Bari Weiss (the former NYT editor) was brought in as Editor-in-Chief. She’s been aggressively “shaking up” the network to move it toward a different editorial direction.
- The Conflict: Reports suggest Weiss tried to recruit Anderson to anchor the CBS Evening News full-time, but he turned her down.
- Editorial Tension: There’s been a lot of internal friction lately. Just recently, a 60 Minutes segment on a prison in El Salvador was delayed and heavily edited under Weiss’s direction, which reportedly upset several long-time correspondents, including the 60 Minutes team.
3. What Happens Now?
- Where is he going? He’s not retiring! He recently signed a new, massive deal with CNN to remain the face of that network through at least the 2026 midterms. He’s just dropping the CBS side of his life.
- The End of the “Bridge”: For years, anderson cooper was the “bridge” between cable news (CNN) and prestige broadcast journalism (CBS). His exit marks a shift where these networks are becoming more siloed.
- Final Episodes: You’ll still see a few more segments from him as he finishes out the current season (Season 58), but he won’t be back for the fall premiere.
The Bottom Line: It’s a massive loss for 60 Minutes. He was one of their most recognizable faces and brought a certain “cool factor” and field-reporting grit that’s hard to replace.