CBS News contributor Peter Attia is exiting the network after newly released federal records revealed past email exchanges between him and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Attia, a physician widely known for his work in longevity and preventative health, had only recently joined CBS News. He was announced in January as part of a group of contributors hired under editor-in-chief Bari Weiss during a broader reshaping of the newsroom’s direction.
That rollout quickly shifted once documents made public by the Department of Justice detailed prior communication between Attia and Epstein. The records show Attia corresponded with Epstein and offered medical guidance.
The Hollywood Reporter was first to report that Attia would no longer be moving forward with the network.
In a statement to The New York Times, a spokesperson for Attia said his role at CBS News “had not meaningfully begun.”
“As such, he stepped back to ensure his involvement didn’t become a distraction from the important work being done at CBS,” the spokesperson said. “He wishes the network and its leadership well and has no further comment at this time.”
Among the emails included in the Justice Department release was one in which Attia wrote that Epstein “might literally be one of the — if not the — most interesting people I’ve ever met,” according to the Times.
The disclosure has placed Attia among several high-profile figures in media, politics, and business whose names surfaced in the Epstein files. In some cases, those connections have triggered renewed scrutiny and public pressure regarding professional affiliations.
At the same time, CBS News has been navigating separate criticism from Democratic lawmakers and media observers over changes implemented under Weiss, as well as broader shifts at its parent company, Paramount.
