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Anderson Cooper recently announced his departure from 60 Minutes. Since then, insiders have discussed what really happened behind the scenes. Moreover, an inside source suggested that money could have been an issue.
Anderson Cooper Released A Statement On His 60 Minutes Departure
Cooper is known to many as the anchor of CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360°. In addition to this, he long served as a correspondent for CBS News’ 60 Minutes.
However, Cooper recently announced that he would not renew his contract with 60 Minutes for the fall season. The news came out as CBS News saw a major shakeup, including various layoffs, amid the installation of Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief.
Various insiders have weighed in on the issue. Some have claimed that Cooper was “pushed out,” suggesting it wasn’t his decision. However, another insider claimed that he wanted to leave, with Bari Weiss trying to offer a large amount of money to convince him to stay.
For his part, Cooper claimed that he wanted to spend more time with his family. At the time, it was believed that he would keep his position with CNN despite leaving CBS News.
Inside Sources Claimed CBS News’ Parent Company Is Demanding Budget Trims
As the outlet noted, Cooper shared, “For nearly 20 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.”
More recently, insiders speaking with The National Examiner pointed out that “spiraling ratings and layoffs” have impacted a number of employees behind the scenes. Thanks to this, the network is reportedly cutting costs, with parent company, Paramount Skydance, demanding serious budget cuts. They also pointed out that multiple CBS News programs have been affected, including CBS Evening News and CBS Mornings.
According to these insiders, Cooper may have seen the writing on the wall and left 60 Minutes of his own choosing. According to these sources, he wanted to leave the show on his own terms.
As one source shared, “He didn’t want the job to change. And he certainly wasn’t going to take less money.” This claim is interesting because earlier claims suggested that Weiss had been willing to increase his pay to keep him on 60 Minutes, though both insiders suggest Cooper’s departure was by his own choice. That said, it is possible there was concern that money could eventually become an issue along the line.
Have you been following this story? What is your reaction to the insider’s recent claims? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.
