CBS News reportedly dismissed veteran “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley on Tuesday night, one day after the longtime journalist publicly criticized editor-in-chief Bari Weiss during a heated confrontation that highlighted internal tensions within the iconic newsmagazine.
In a letter obtained by The Post, newly appointed “60 Minutes” executive producer Nick Bilton informed Pelley he was being terminated “for cause, effective immediately.” Bilton accused Pelley of undermining his leadership during his first staff meeting.
“[Y]ou hijacked my first meeting with staff to disparage me, my qualifications, and my intentions with remarkable incivility and contempt,” Bilton wrote, referencing Monday’s tense exchange between the journalist and his supervisor.
Veteran CBS News correspondent Scott Pelley has become the latest figure impacted by ongoing internal turmoil at “60 Minutes” following a public clash with network leadership.
#BREAK: CBS NEWS has terminated Scott Pelley's contract. pic.twitter.com/vbXyX8PBBv
— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) June 3, 2026
Bilton further accused Pelley of staging a “performative display of hostility” and said he showed “no interest in contributing to the future success of the show, or approaching my new tenure with a mind open to collaboration and progress.”
“I am here to deliver first-in-class news programming,” Bilton wrote, adding that Pelley’s approach was “not aligned” with that mission.
He continued: “Your antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear. And I have heard you.”
During the meeting in question, Pelley allegedly told Bilton that the new executive producer had “slender” qualifications for the role and would “never be welcome here,” according to sources cited by The Post.
Bilton responded sharply: “You are not going to intimidate me in front of this group of people.”
Pelley also reportedly accused Bari Weiss of “murdering ‘60 Minutes’” and claimed she “was brought in to kill it and is doing exactly that,” sources familiar with the exchange said.
The confrontation lasted about 15 minutes before Bilton ended the meeting and walked out.
The incident reportedly split CBS News staffers, with some insiders describing Pelley’s conduct as “bullying” and “grandstanding,” while others claimed it was “a set-up,” according to sources.
“What did he accomplish?” one CBS source said of Pelley’s outburst. “He embarrassed the company and the leadership.”
The insider added: “This was a set-up. This was Scott going off for show. This was just a show. He wants to stand up for journalism and maybe get fired—but what does it change?”
A second source echoed concerns about Pelley’s approach, calling his actions “problematic” and suggesting he should have met with Weiss or Bilton directly to hear their perspective.
“That grandstanding thing is insane. It’s third-grade, playground bullying stuff,” the source said. “This is not the way you conduct yourself.”
“You’re not taking down a dictator or someone who has committed war crimes,” the source added. “You’re not interviewing Saddam Hussein. It was a little bit overkill.”
A veteran of nearly four decades at CBS News and one of the most recognizable figures on “60 Minutes,” Pelley has emerged as a vocal internal critic of Bari Weiss’ efforts to reshape CBS News and modernize the program under new owner David Ellison.
In recent weeks, Weiss has overseen a sweeping shakeup at the network that resulted in the departure of executive producer Tanya Simon, correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega, senior executive producer Draggan Mihailovich, veteran producer Guy Campanile, and digital chief Matthew Polevoy.
One CBS insider previously described the changes as “not surgical,” but rather “a bloodbath.”
Pelley reportedly referred to the mass firings as “Black Thursday.”
The tensions reportedly stem in part from Weiss’ involvement in a disputed “60 Minutes” segment on El Salvador’s CECOT prison. Alfonsi later accused Weiss of attempting to “sanitize accurate reporting,” while Weiss argued the piece required additional reporting and additional input from Trump administration officials before airing.
Sharyn Alfonsi was informed that CBS News would not renew her contract as part of a sweeping overhaul of “60 Minutes” overseen by Bari Weiss.
The report in question ultimately aired in an edited form with additional comments from the administration included.
Scott Pelley joined CBS News in 1989 and has worked as a “60 Minutes” correspondent since 2004. He also anchored the “CBS Evening News” from 2011 to 2017 and has remained one of the network’s most prominent on-air figures.
He told The New York Times shortly after his firing that he remained deeply committed to “60 Minutes.”
“I have been in combat in Afghanistan,” Pelley said, citing his reporting history. “I have been in combat in Iraq. I have been in the war zone in Ukraine multiple times, risking my life and the happiness of my family because of my devotion to the broadcast.”
CBS News declined to comment.
