Andy Cohen 'Urged' Anderson Cooper To Finally Walk Away From CBS — After Bravo's Boss Claimed Troubled Network Was 'Cooked and Done'

Anderson Cooper's BFF Andy Cohen urged the journalist to walk away from CBS's 60 Minutes, RadarOnline.com can reveal, despite being offered a "crazy amount" of money to stay at the troubled network.

Cooper's imminent departure could be the first of many correspondent defections in light of new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss' "anti-woke" pivot.

After nearly 20 years with the venerable news magazine, Cooper has turned down a new contract with CBS and will depart the show at the end of the current season.

His new boss, Weiss, has caused widespread upheaval at the network and has been criticized for her new policies.

As reporters, and more importantly, viewers, reject CBS, Cohen quietly urged Cooper to consider walking away.

"Andy absolutely told him it was time," one source told Hollywood insider Rob Shuter, who writes on Substack. "He said, 'Why stay somewhere you’re not wanted?'"

Cooper, 58, has been part of 60 Minutes since 2006. But after Weiss reportedly began micromanaging staff as she continues to seek a "different tone" for the network, the source said the signs were on the wall.

"Every script was scrutinized. Every edit questioned," the source explained. "It stopped feeling like trust and started feeling like a test."

Cohen apparently saw it too and wanted to save his friend from the coming humiliation.

"Anderson wasn’t treated with the respect he’d earned over decades. Andy saw it clearly and told him to protect his legacy," the source confided.

"Andy helped him see he deserved better."

Cooper could soon be shown the door by several colleagues at CBS. A source told Radar: "Anderson is just the tip of the iceberg – the unrest and disillusionment are widespread inside CBS, and it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the star journalists follow suit.

"The anger is at a fever pitch, and CBS News has become a shell of itself. Fear at every turn with a boss that doesn’t seem to care. How sad."

When he announced his decision, Cooper said he was leaving purely for personal reasons: "For nearly twenty years, I've been able to balance my jobs at CNN and CBS," he said. "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."

For their part, CBS stated its own, expressing: We're grateful to (Cooper) for dedicating so much of his life to this broadcast, and understand the importance of spending more time with family. 60 Minutes will be here if he ever wants to return."

Cooper may be saying goodbye to another of his long-time partners. Besties as they may be, Cohen is reportedly plotting his own star-studded New Year's Eve countdown spectacular without Cooper – just in case new bosses at the network don't invite the Bravo honcho back for another booze-soaked broadcast.

While the duo has been a New Year's Eve staple, sources said CNN is in turmoil, with Warner Bros. Discovery insiders openly discussing a potential sale of the channel.

"Everyone at CNN is on edge," warned a source. "It's nonstop change, and no one feels safe."

According to tipsters, Cohen sees the network's uncertainty as a golden opportunity to reclaim New Year's Eve with the kind of chaotic, champagne-fueled spectacle that would feel right at home on Bravo.

"If CNN drops the ball, Andy will dump Anderson in a heartbeat and throw his own glittering Bravo bash – with a Housewife or two front and center," a source said.

Another insider added: "Anderson's a friend, sure – but Andy's ambitious."