Anderson Cooper ‘Didn’t Appreciate Being Second-Guessed’ by CBS’ Bari Weiss Ahead of CNN Departure

Anderson Cooper is the latest big name to bite the dust at hemorrhaging CBS News!

In a not-so-shocking move to many network insiders, the CNN anchor announced he’d informed CBS he didn’t wish to renew his contract as a 60 Minutes correspondent for the fall season.

“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,” said the father of two young boys, The New York Post reported.

Sources say Cooper, who was long described by CBS colleagues as having the “best part-time job in television,” wanted to “get out while the getting was good.”

As the National Enquirer has reported, the tumultuous tenure of new CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss has led to familiar faces leaving virtually all of the prestigious news shows, including the CBS Evening News and CBS Mornings.

The turnovers come on top of spiraling ratings and layoffs affecting dozens of behind-the-scenes employees.

CBS is in aggressive cost-cutting mode, with parent company Paramount Skydance demanding sweeping changes and serious budget trims.

“Everything is under review,” says one network source. “No more sacred cows. Big salaries, part-time deals — it’s all being examined.”

Insiders say Anderson, 58, saw the writing on the wall and decided to bow out on his own terms.

“He didn’t want the job to change,” a source says. “And he certainly wasn’t going to take less money.”

According to multiple insiders, Cooper bristled at Weiss’ alleged hard move to the right in the network’s news coverage and hands-on leadership style with her “questioning” and “interfering” in areas he considered his domain. “He didn’t appreciate being second-guessed,” one insider says.

At one point, Weiss courted Cooper to be the new Evening News anchor, but sources say he rejected the job due to network turmoil.

By offering family concerns as the reason for his exit, insiders say Cooper is strategically leaving on good terms.

“If Paramount were ever to acquire CNN — where Cooper remains a marquee name — he could find himself back in the same corporate orbit,” a source says. “In television, today’s rival can be tomorrow’s boss.”