CBS News Contributor Steps Down Amid Fallout From Epstein Email Revelations

Peter Attia, a physician and prominent voice in the field of longevity science, has stepped down from his role as a contributor to CBS News after newly released government records revealed extensive communications between him and Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender. The departure came weeks after Attia had been added to the network’s roster as part of an editorial overhaul.

CBS News announced Attia’s hiring on January 28 of this year, alongside 18 other contributors in a move overseen by editor in chief Bari Weiss. The additions were presented as an effort to expand the network’s expertise in health and science coverage. Within days, however, the Department of Justice released millions of pages of documents tied to its long-running investigation into Epstein, under the requirements of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Attia’s name appeared repeatedly in the materials.

The law mandated publication of all unclassified records related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. On January 30, the department made public a vast archive that included emails and other correspondence involving Epstein and a wide network of contacts. The disclosure prompted scrutiny of numerous public figures whose names surfaced in the files.

Attia’s name appeared more than 1,700 times. The documents included email exchanges between Attia and Epstein from 2014 to 2019. Some messages were professional in tone, while others were more informal and, at times, crude. In one exchange, Attia wrote that something “is, indeed, low carb,” part of a thread that some have since described as questionable in tone and judgment.

There is no indication in the released materials that Attia was involved in or aware of Epstein’s criminal conduct, and Attia has not been accused of wrongdoing. Still, the frequency and tenor of the communications drew criticism, particularly given Epstein’s status as a convicted child sex offender at the time many of the messages were sent.

As coverage of the emails intensified in early February, Attia addressed the matter publicly on the social media platform X. He characterized portions of the correspondence as “embarrassing, tasteless, and indefensible,” and expressed regret for engaging in exchanges that, once made public, cast him in a negative light. He denied any connection to Epstein’s crimes, stating that he had never traveled on Epstein’s private plane, visited his private island, or witnessed illegal activity.

Attia said he first met Epstein in 2014 in the context of discussions about health research and introductions within philanthropic and scientific circles. He described himself as having been “naïve” in assessing Epstein’s standing and said he had misjudged the implications of maintaining contact.

CBS News moved quickly as the documents gained attention. A planned rebroadcast of a “60 Minutes” segment featuring Attia, originally aired in October 2025, was removed from the schedule. Inside the network, executives weighed the reputational and commercial risks of retaining him as a contributor.

Although CBS did not immediately sever ties, the scrutiny continued. By February 23, major news organizations reported that Attia had left his position at the network amid the fallout.

His resignation is among a series of consequences following the Justice Department’s document release. Business leaders, academics and other public figures whose names appeared in the files have faced public questions, and in some cases have stepped back from professional roles, even in the absence of allegations of criminal conduct.