CBS News fires veteran correspondent Scott Pelley from '60 Minutes' amid turmoil

Veteran journalist Scott Pelley was dismissed from CBS News' "60 Minutes" on Tuesday, June 3, 2026, following a contentious staff meeting where he sharply criticized the network's new leadership. Pelley reportedly accused Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss of "murdering" the iconic news program and questioned the qualifications of newly appointed executive producer Nick Bilton. This abrupt firing deepens existing turmoil at CBS News, which recently saw the departures of other key "60 Minutes" staff members.

Pelley, who had been with CBS for 37 years, issued a statement asserting that "60 Minutes" had lost its fundamental character under the new management. He further alleged that he had been instructed to incorporate "falsehoods and bias" into his reports. In response, Bilton accused Pelley of orchestrating an "ambush" during the staff meeting and displaying "remarkable incivility and contempt," indicating that attempts to reconcile were unsuccessful.