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.
Sources have since alleged to RadarOnline that Weiss’ hiring prompted Cooper to step away from his post at the conclusion of his contract. One insider also claims Cooper will step away from CNN if Weiss is put in charge. As to why he’d have no problem doing that, the insider reported the following claim:
Anderson has something almost no one else in television possesses – true financial freedom. He's never been trapped by a paycheck. If he believes a newsroom no longer reflects his values, he can simply leave.
Further claims were made by another source, who said Cooper reportedly “wasn’t comfortable with the direction [60 Minutes] was taking under Bari” Weiss. Notably, when he signed off the show for the final time, he stated his hope that “60 Minutes remains 60 Minutes.” Another insider now alleges that if the CBS News head were to make her way to CNN, Cooper would reportedly have one course of action:
He didn't step away from 60 Minutes only to end up working for Bari somewhere else. If the merger puts her in charge of CNN, he's gone.
CNN Insiders Weigh In On The Main ‘Problem’ CBS News’ Bari Weiss Would Have If She Ran The Network
Much has been said about the state of CBS News and 60 Minutes as of late, considering the host of staffing changes that have happened as of late. Weeks after Anderson Cooper signed off for the final time, several correspondents and producers were let go, including Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and Tanya Simon. Longtime series alum Scott Pelley was also fired after accusing Weiss of “murdering” 60. Pelley and others have since claimed the show has lost editorial autonomy and that political partiality is in effect. Weiss and others at the company have denied those claims.
Bari Weiss’ purported workplace tendencies have been criticized, with insiders even saying that her morning meetings had allegedly become tense. However, a more recent report suggested that Weiss had changed some of her methods of working with her colleagues and was becoming more available to them. All the while, the gears of speculation continue to churn in regard to whether Paramount CEO David Ellison will put Weiss in charge of CNN. As of right now, the exec hasn’t announced any plans on that front.
If CNN were to hypothetically lose Anderson Cooper after the merger, it would mark the end of an era for the network. What’s unclear, based on this latest rumor, is what exactly Cooper would do if he were to love the news network. Still, an insider claims “there are countless opportunities beyond hard news, and Anderson finally has the freedom to pursue them.”
