Anderson Cooper fans were shocked in early July 2025 when a story emerged that he may be considering leaving CNN after more than two decades. However, taking a step back and looking at everything that went down over the preceding years, the possibility of him exiting isn’t all that surprising.
To refresh, in July, sources told the National Enquirer that they believed Cooper was planning his exit from CNN. Far from being an amicable departure, though, the insiders said that there were messy factors contributing to his decision. For one, a source claimed that Cooper was tired of execs trying to hold him responsible for a drop in ratings. In addition to that, another insider claimed that he had been furious when he wasn’t chosen to moderate the 2024 CNN presidential debate. All that said, one factor that would probably be a bigger deciding factor in Cooper choosing to leave would be that he no longer feels his workplace aligns with his own values. That was another issue one of National Enquirer’s sources hinted at, with the insider saying that Cooper was frustrated by the channel seemingly prioritizing ratings over more balanced debate — a move they said could be summed up by CNN giving Scott Jennings such a big platform. “Scott’s allowed to rant and rave, while the rest of them are muzzled. … People tune in to see what outrageous thing Scott will say next, and the execs love it. Anderson is appalled that they’re pandering for viewers this way,” the unnamed insider claimed.
Of course, Cooper hasn’t said that in his own words — and considering Kaitlan Collins’ chumminess with Jennings, it’s possible he’s friendly with his conservative colleague, too. Even so, those haven’t been the only signs Cooper may be looking to bow out.
Anderson admitted to being uncomfortable with CNN’s drama
While Anderson Cooper hasn’t officially commented on the grievances outlined by National Enquirer’s sources, he did speak out about all the drama surrounding CNN between 2021 and 2023 — and he didn’t hide the fact that it all made him a little uncomfortable.
Speaking to People in 2023 about the general feeling behind the scenes in the wake of changing leadership, the firing of Chris Cuomo, and Don Lemon’s termination — as well as Lemon’s response, which also hinted at behind-the-scenes drama — Cooper admitted that things had been tense. “Morale was hurt by all the drama, and that’s unfortunate,” Cooper told the outlet. He added, “It’s never great to be in a place where you read the paper in the morning and there are stories about where you’re working.” All that said, he believed that things were on the up and up — a major plus, given how much he loved CNN. That was also something he spoke about in the interview, gushing, “This is an organization I care a lot about. They have been extraordinarily good to me, and I think the quality of what CNN does, the correspondents they have, the producers they have are extraordinary.”
Of course, it’s possible things have changed, and between ratings drama, feeling sidelined for the presidential debate, and his disagreement with pushing Scott Jennings, he no longer feels quite as attached to CNN. After all, in June 2025, Variety revealed that Cooper had signed with CAA, a move neither the agency nor CNN would comment on. Then again, it’s also possible Cooper is simply thinking of ways to diversify his income more generally. We certainly don’t begrudge him that.
