Summary: CBS has reportedly chosen, informally, to keep Peter Attia as a network contributor despite the release of emails linking him to Jeffrey Epstein. The Justice Department’s records contain about 1,838 items connected to Attia, many from the mid-2010s and including both medical exchanges and crude remarks. Attia apologized on X, denied criminal conduct, and resigned from his role at David Protein. The network has not issued a formal public statement, and some CBS staffers say they are upset by the decision.
CBS Reportedly Keeps Peter Attia as Contributor After Epstein Email Revelations
CBS News has reportedly decided, informally, to keep physician and contributor Peter Attia on its roster despite the public release of emails linking him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, multiple network staffers tell The Guardian.
Background
Attia was one of 19 new on-air contributors announced by CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss in late January. Days after the announcement, a tranche of documents released by the U.S. Justice Department included hundreds of items that appear to show extensive correspondence between Attia and Epstein.
What the Records Show
A search of the Justice Department’s file library returns roughly 1,838 items associated with Attia’s name. Many of the messages date to the mid-2010s — after Epstein’s 2008 conviction but before his 2019 arrest — and range from apparently medical or professional exchanges to crude or offensive remarks.
Internal Reaction and Network Response
According to staffers who spoke on the condition of anonymity, CBS executives have "unofficially" decided to retain Attia. "Everyone internally unofficially concluded he was staying as of about a week ago," one staffer told The Guardian. Others inside the network expressed anger and frustration: "We're pissed off about it," another employee said.
CBS declined to comment to reporter Jeremy Barr when approached about Attia’s status. The network has not issued a formal public statement addressing whether Attia will remain a contributor.
Attia’s Statement and Subsequent Actions
In a public apology posted to X, Attia called the messages "embarrassing, tasteless, and indefensible," writing, "What I wrote in that email reads terribly, and I own that." He said he first met Epstein in 2014, visited his Manhattan home several times, and denied any involvement in criminal conduct.
Following the revelations, Attia stepped down as chief science officer at David Protein, a snack-bar company in which he was an investor.
Public Commentary
Reactions outside CBS were split: many critics urged the network to remove Attia, while others, including Mediaite founder Dan Abrams, argued that he should remain in his newly announced role. The debate highlights ongoing tensions in newsrooms about how to handle contributors tied to controversial figures.
Note: The story was first published by Mediaite and was reported on in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr.
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