CBS News has cut ties with Peter Attia after initial resistance, following revelations that his name appears more than 1,700 times in files linked to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Attia, a physician specialising in longevity medicine, was among 19 contributors named last month by CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss.
A CBS News executive confirmed his departure on Monday.
Attia’s resignation was agreed after discussions with Weiss, according to one of her associates. He had not appeared on the network since the announcement of his hiring in January.
His name appeared in a cache of Epstein files released this month by the US Department of Justice. Once disclosed, some within the news division viewed his removal as inevitable.
Weiss, who joined CBS News when parent company Paramount acquired her digital outlet the Free Press last autumn, is described as sceptical of cancel culture and initially resisted taking immediate action, according to people familiar with her thinking.
A representative for Attia said he resigned because “he wanted to ensure his involvement didn’t become a distraction from the important work being done at CBS.”
Any appearance by Attia on the network would likely have prompted negative coverage. The episode marks another challenge during Weiss’s leadership of the division since her appointment late last year.
Attia’s email exchanges with Epstein included a crude discussion about female genitalia.
Another message showed Attia expressing dismay that he could not discuss Epstein’s activities. “You [know] the biggest problem with becoming friends with you? The life you lead is so outrageous, and yet I can’t tell a soul…,” Attia wrote.
In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution, including from a minor. He was found dead in his jail cell in 2019, about a month after being arrested on federal sex trafficking charges.
From a commercial perspective, retaining Attia at CBS would have posed difficulties. Health-related programming attracts advertisers, and sponsors may have been reluctant to place adverts alongside his segments.
Attia had already been dropped by AGI, a powdered supplements company where he served as a scientific adviser. He also stepped away from his role as chief science officer at David, a protein bar maker.
CBS News pulled an October “60 Minutes” profile of Attia that had been scheduled to re-air this month.
Attia apologised for his interactions with Epstein, stating he had not been involved in criminal activity and had never visited Epstein’s island.
“I apologise and regret putting myself in a position where emails, some of them embarrassing, tasteless, and indefensible, are now public, and that is on me,” Attia wrote.
“I accept that reality and the humiliation that comes with it.”
Attia wrote the bestselling book “Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity” and hosts a popular podcast.
His company, Early Medical, offers a programme teaching people to live healthier as they age.
