Anderson Cooper was allegedly forced out at CBS – he didn’t quit, according to Rob Shuter. On Monday, Cooper announced he is leaving CBS’ “60 Minutes” after nearly 20 years.
Cooper, 58, also anchors the CNN news program “Anderson Cooper 360°”.
“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,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Cooper has been a 60 Minutes correspondent since the 2006-07 season.
According to Shuter, Cooper quit after a run-in with CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. Sources tell Shuter that Weiss is taking “an aggressive hands-on role” in the newsroom.
“Bari made it clear she wanted a different tone,” an insider told Shuter. “Every script was scrutinized. Every edit questioned. It stopped feeling like trust and started feeling like a test.”
Another source said Cooper left because the environment at CBS had become “uncomfortable”.
“He didn’t quit. He was pushed,” the source said. “When management makes it that uncomfortable, walking away is the only option left.”
“When your own newsroom feels like hostile territory, it’s not really a choice,” a source added.
Cooper welcomed a son in 2020 by a surrogate with his then-partner Benjamin Maisani. The two men are no longer together.
The CNN host told Howard Stern that he remains close with his ex Maisani, who broke up with him after a decade of dating.
Even though they’re not together, Maisani is in the process of adopting Cooper’s first son whose name will be Wyatt Maisani-Cooper.
Cooper said he asked Maisani to co-parent Wyatt because he wanted the boy to have 2 parents.
In 2022, Cooper welcomed another son by a surrogate. He is raising both boys as a single father.
Cooper is the son of the late fashion designer and author Gloria Vanderbilt.
