
Anderson Cooper Is Leaving CBS News' '60 Minutes' After Nearly 20 Years — Details
Anderson Cooper is leaving his famous TV show. The reason behind the broadcast journalist's quiet exit has nothing to do with contracts or controversy.
A major shift is coming to Sunday nights. After nearly 20 years on "60 Minutes," Anderson Cooper is stepping away, and the real reason unfolds far from the studio lights.
For viewers who have followed his reporting since 2007, the departure marks a turning point for the iconic CBS newsmagazine. Conversations about his future had been underway, hinting that this moment might arrive.

Anderson Cooper attends the Sean Penn CORE Gala at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on January 5, 2019 | Source: Getty Images
According to People, Anderson will not renew his contract with CBS, officially ending his tenure as a correspondent. The move brings to a close nearly two decades with the program.
As Variety reported, Anderson had been in talks about extending his deal with CBS.
Ultimately, he opted to concentrate more fully on his expanding role at CNN, where he anchors his nightly 8 p.m. program, hosts a popular grief-focused podcast, and leads the Sunday series "The Whole Story."
CBS News said it is "grateful" for the years he devoted to the broadcast and added that "60 Minutes will be here if he ever wants to return."

Anderson Cooper behind the scenes at "60 Minutes" in New York on March 24, 2010 | Source: Getty Images
The reason became fully clear when Anderson addressed it personally. He said:
"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."
In the end, the decision wasn't about contracts — it was about fatherhood.

Anderson Cooper speaks during The 15th Annual CNN Heroes: All-Star Tribute on December 12, 2021 | Source: Getty Images
His decision to step away now carries even more weight when viewed through the lens of the life he built off-camera.
As previously reported, Anderson didn't expect to become a parent in his fifties. But at 52, he welcomed a son through surrogacy, naming him after the father he lost as a child. Two years later, he became a dad again.
Now, he is raising two young boys in an arrangement that defies convention but works by design. In the process, the writer and producer has learnt to confront parts of his personal history he once left untouched.

Anderson Cooper arrives for the hush money trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City, on May 16, 2024 | Source Getty Images
Anderson was twelve years old when he realized he was gay. From that moment on, he believed fatherhood was out of reach. "When I was 12 years old and knew I was gay and thought about my life, it always upset me because I thought, 'I will never be able to have a kid,'" he would later reveal.
It was a conclusion shaped by the time he grew up in, long before surrogacy and same-sex parenting became part of mainstream public life. He publicly came out decades later, in 2012, in an email to journalist Andrew Sullivan, writing, "I've always known I was gay from the time I was a little kid."
Still, the idea of having children remained something he never imagined for himself. The change only came in his early fifties, when he decided to pursue fatherhood through surrogacy.
On April 30, 2020, Anderson ended his CNN broadcast with personal news: he had become a father. His son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, had been born three days earlier, on April 27.
Anderson introduced his son to the public on Instagram. Alongside a picture of the infant, he wrote, "This is Wyatt Cooper. He is three days old. He is named after my father, who died when I was ten."
Wyatt weighed 7.2 pounds at birth. His middle name, Morgan, came from Anderson's mother's side — a name his parents once considered for him when he was born.
"I recently found a list they made 52 years ago when they were trying to think of names for me," he continued.
"I am grateful to a remarkable surrogate who carried Wyatt, and watched over him lovingly, and tenderly, and gave birth to him," he added.
He also acknowledged the surrogate's husband and children, calling their support an "extraordinary blessing" and adding, "My family is blessed to have this family in our lives." The post also touched on the family members Anderson wished could have shared the moment.
"I do wish my mom and dad and my brother, Carter, were alive to meet Wyatt," he wrote. "But I like to believe they can see him. I imagine them all together, arms around each other, smiling and laughing[…] that their love is alive in me and in Wyatt, and that our family continues."
Fatherhood brought Anderson a sense of connection he hadn't expected. As Wyatt grew, Anderson began noticing features that reminded him of his late brother. "I've started to realize how much Wyatt looks like Carter, who looked [like] my mom," he said in 2021.
That resemblance sparked something deeper. Anderson described feeling a renewed bond to them. Raising his children has given Anderson what he described as an extraordinary connection to his loved ones who are no longer alive.

Anderson Cooper, Gloria Vanderbilt, and Carter Cooper in New York City in 1980 | Source: Getty Images
He spoke about how the experience stirred memories of his childhood and deepened his awareness of family continuity. One example was when he found a set of wooden blocks he and Carter had played with as boys. Seeing Wyatt now building with those same blocks left an impression on him.
"We drew robots on them and stuff," Anderson recalled of his childhood. "So now to see Wyatt playing with those and building things, it's crazy." For Anderson, it was a tangible moment in which the past and present met inside his own home.
From the start, Anderson raised Wyatt alongside his friend and former partner, Benjamin Maisani, with whom he had previously been in a long-term relationship. Although the pair had separated in 2018, they remained close.

Benjamin Maisani and Anderson Cooper pictured on November 2, 2015 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
By the time Wyatt was 16 months old, their arrangement had settled into a rhythm. Anderson described their dynamic as strong. He considered Benjamin a great parent and said they loved each other as family.
He acknowledged that while they occasionally disagreed on minor parenting decisions — such as when Wyatt should attend swimming class or whether he should wear overalls — those were small "all silly, minor things. We get along great," he said.
Anderson explained that their decision to co-parent was grounded in mutual respect. Benjamin, for his part, noted, "Anderson has changed a lot since Wyatt arrived. He's happy and relaxed in a way he's never been before. Wyatt has grounded him."
Nearly two years after welcoming Wyatt, Anderson announced the birth of his second son, Sebastian Luke. The baby was born in February 2022 via surrogate. Anderson introduced him publicly through a photo posted on Instagram with the caption, "Cuddling with Sebastian the day after he was born."
This time, Anderson made a change to the naming. Sebastian was given the hyphenated last name Maisani-Cooper. While Anderson had previously referred to Benjamin as a co-parent, this marked a more formal recognition of their commitment as a parenting team.
They continued living together, managing the responsibilities of raising two young boys in a structure built on consistency and mutual involvement. With Sebastian's birth, their family expanded, but their parenting approach remained the same.
At 58, the father of two has experienced several profound losses over his lifetime. His father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, died in 1978 when Anderson was ten. A decade later, his older brother, Carter, died by suicide at the age of 23. In 2019, his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, succumbed to stomach cancer at the age of 95.

Swiss-born socialite Gloria Vanderbilt runs down a street with her two sons Anderson Cooper and Carter Vanderbilt Cooper in March 1976 | Source: Getty Images
For years, Anderson avoided fully confronting the grief tied to those events. That began to change after he became a father. In a 2024 interview on "The Late Show," Anderson said, "I have lived my life without allowing myself to feel great sadness."
He also added that parenting had opened him up emotionally in ways he hadn't expected. He explained that by avoiding grief for so long, he had also dulled his ability to feel joy. Anderson began speaking more openly about his experiences through his podcast, "All There Is with Anderson Cooper."
He has said that talking about grief has helped him feel less alone. Discussing the subject with guests who have experienced their losses, he's explored what it means to live with grief rather than try to move past it. One idea he referenced was the concept of forming a "companionship with grief," something he said he now finds meaningful.
Anderson lives with Benjamin and their two sons in New York City and also spends time at their home in Connecticut. Their daily routine involves shared caregiving. In September 2023, Anderson described how they structure their days.
He works nights while Benjamin handles bedtime, and both are up early to start the day with their sons. He added that Benjamin speaks French to the boys. "I have no idea what they're saying. I think they're plotting against me," he joked.
Anderson tries to model his parenting after his late father. Speaking to Stephen Colbert, he explained, "I would like my kids to see me as I saw my dad, who was just a remarkable dad."
