Lesley Stahl Reportedly Considered Quitting ’60 Minutes’ Over Clash With Bari Weiss

Longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl reportedly considered quitting after CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss pushed back against a segment about extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

The claims come from Oliver Darcy’s Status newsletter, which said Weiss and her deputy, Charles Forelle, gave Stahl’s report “very hands-on” editing. Darcy reports that initially Stahl received “some light notes” and “everything appeared to be on track for the report to air Sunday evening as planned.”

However, the situation reportedly changed when Weiss and Forelle entered the picture. “I’m told Weiss and Forelle participated in screenings late last week and provided a plethora of feedback,” Darcy wrote. “Weiss became ‘very, very hands-on,’ as one person familiar with the matter told Status.”

It’s not clear what exactly Weiss’ objections were, but Darcy noted they were “not confined to a particular factual assertion or isolated element of the report. Rather, her concerns were much broader, setting the stage for what spiraled into a highly contentious editorial process.”

Darcy also reported that Forelle suggested “tabling the story for a later date” to give the team more time to “work through their feedback” with Stahl. However, the veteran reported “strongly objected” and said, “they should just work through the various points of feedback then.”

According to Darcy, the whole process left Stahl so frustrated that she “privately floated” the idea of quitting 60 Minutes. Stahl has worked for the show since 1991 and, alongside Bill Whitaker and Jon Wertheim, was one of three longtime correspondents to stick with the show amid months of behind-the-scenes turmoil.

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In the weeks before Stahl signed on for the new season, Weiss announced that tech journalist and filmmaker Nick Bilton would replace 60 Minutes executive producer Tanya Simon. Weiss also fired producer Draggan Mihailovich and correspondents Cecilia Vega and Sharyn Alfonsi.

Longtime 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley spoke out against the changes and Weiss’ handling of CBS News during a heated staff meeting on June 1, during which he said Weiss was “murdering” 60 Minutes. The next day, Bilton sent Pelley a termination letter, noting that he’d been fired “for cause, effective immediately.”

A CBS spokesperson strongly denied Status’ report, telling Mediaite, “This is a ludicrous, twisted narrative. All 60 Minutes pieces go through a famously rigorous editorial process – which includes edits from editors. This piece received far fewer edits than most.”