CBS News Contributor Peter Attia Departs Following Public Exposure of

CBS News contributor Dr. Peter Attia has stepped down from his role following the public release of emails showing his past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Attia resigned effective immediately, according to a source familiar with the matter.

The decision comes just weeks after he was named as one of several new contributors brought into the network under editor in chief Bari Weiss.

The controversy began after the Justice Department released millions of documents under the "Epstein Files Transparency Act."

In those records, Attia's name appeared 1,741 times. The files included hundreds of emails between Attia and Epstein, some sent years after Epstein had been convicted in 2008 of procuring a child for prostitution.

One 2016 email from Attia included a crude joke. In another message from 2015, he wrote to Epstein, "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..." The subject line read "Got a fresh shipment," though a related photo was redacted.

In a separate email to Epstein's longtime assistant, Lesley Groff, Attia wrote that he would "go into JE withdrawal" if he did not see Epstein soon, Yahoo reported.

The messages quickly sparked backlash online, especially because they showed that Attia kept in contact with Epstein years after his criminal conviction.

CBS News Silent Following Attia's Sudden Exit

Earlier this month, Attia issued a public statement addressing the emails.

According to the NY Post, he said his correspondence "had nothing to do with the sexual abuse or exploitation of anyone" and that he "was not involved in any criminal activity."

"I apologize 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 am not asking anyone to ignore the emails or pretend they aren't ugly. They simply are."

Before joining CBS News, Attia built a large following as a longevity expert, with more than 1.7 million followers on Instagram. He was also known for his podcast and bestselling book about healthy aging.

CBS News and its parent company did not immediately comment on his departure.

Some observers had expected Weiss, who has spoken out against "cancel culture," to stand by Attia. Instead, his exit came swiftly.

Epstein died in a New York City jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

Originally published on vcpost.com