Scott Pelley Fired After Explosive Confrontation With New ‘60 Minutes' Executive Producer

Scott Pelley is no longer with CBS News. His contract was officially terminated as of Tuesday evening. At Monday's meeting, the correspondent confronted the new 60 Minutes Executive Producer, Nick Bilton, about his qualifications in front of the staff.

Following the Monday staff meeting outburst, Bilton wrote a letter to Pelley, explaining the reasons behind the termination. He accused Pelley of "hijacking" the meeting with a "performative display of hostility." Bilton added, "Despite yesterday's misconduct, I had hoped…we could find a path forward together. You made clear you are not interested in such a path." The letter included a lengthy paragraph expressing Bilton's desire to collaborate with the 60 Minutes team and learn from veteran journalists. Bilton's final words before terminating Pelley were, "Your antipathy to the future of the show has come through loud and clear."

At the staff meeting, Pelley criticized editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, referencing concerns about recent changes at 60 Minutes. Weiss, who was hired last year, oversaw several staff firings last week, an event Pelley described as "Black Thursday." The overhaul included Sharyn Alfonsi, who had publicly stated disagreement with Weiss' handling of a story about a Salvadoran prison. Former Executive Producer Tanya Simon was also let go. Bilton was named to replace her despite lacking experience in traditional broadcast news, a point Pelley also raised at the meeting.

After Pelley's comments, Weiss immediately organized an emergency meeting to discuss the future of 60 Minutes. According to CNN, some CBS insiders believed Pelley was "daring Weiss to fire him." The correspondent was called into a meeting with Weiss, Bilton, CBS News president Tom Cibrowski, and human resources, but the parties were unable to reach an agreement.

On Tuesday evening, following Pelley's termination, Bilton wrote to the remaining staffers to defend the decision. He also apologized, saying, "I realize this is a great deal of change in a very short time, and I wouldn't pretend otherwise."

60 Minutes veterans, including former executive producer Bill Owens, have praised Pelley for speaking up against the current leadership. Owens commented at a New York Press Club event that "couldn't be prouder of him," and that Pelley "can smell a fraud a mile away."

Pelley was part of the CBS News family for 37 years, including time at 60 Minutes and as an anchor on CBS Evening News. According to Deadline, both Pelley and Alfonsi have spoken with litigator Bryan Freedman about representation.

Next: ‘60 Minutes' Correspondent Blasts Editor-In-Chief Bari Weiss for Lack of Qualifications

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 11:03 PM.