Scott Pelley‘s firing by CBS News has sparked questions about the future of 60 Minutes. The network has been undergoing a major transition since Bari Weiss took over as editor-in-chief in 2025, and 60 Minutes, specifically, has seen major staffing changes in recent months.
Many are now wondering about the fates of longtime CBS News journalists Lesley Stahl and Bill Whitaker, who have been staples on 60 Minutes for years. Scroll down for everything we know about the situation.
Are Lesley Stahl and Bill Whitaker leaving 60 Minutes?
So far, Stahl and Whitaker have not announced plans to leave 60 Minutes or CBS News. “I think they feel like if they leave, there’s nothing left of 60,” an insider told Variety.
Per Variety, Stahl, who has been on 60 Minutes since 1991, has a year-to-year contract. Whitaker joined the program in 2014 and also has not shared plans to leave at this time.
Who has left 60 Minutes so far?
Pelley is just the latest in a string of 60 Minutes casualties. He was fired on June 2 by Nick Bilton, who took over as the show’s new executive editor in May.
Bilton’s decision to terminate Pelley came after the latter questioned his new boss’ credentials at a staff meeting. As Bilton explained in Pelley’s termination letter: “Your antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear.”
Pelley, meanwhile, accused CBS News’ new management of trying to “curry favor with the Trump administration,” which he said has weakened the news programs.
Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi were also both recently axed from 60 Minutes, while Anderson Cooper left the program after two decades last month. Cooper said he was leaving the show to focus on spending more time with his family (he has two young children). He will now be strictly focusing on his CNN program, Anderson Cooper 360°.
Is 60 Minutes canceled?
No, 60 Minutes is not canceled so far, but changes are being made behind the scenes, and viewers are worried about the future of the show amid recent firings and exits.
The changes at CBS News came after the network’s parent company, Paramount, was bought by Skydance Media. The owner of Skydance is David Ellison, whose father, Larry Ellison, is a close ally of Donald Trump.
60 Minutes, Sundays, 7/6c, CBS