CBS reveals Gayle King's future at the network

Gayle King isn't going anywhere.

The veteran journalist, 71, has signed a new contract with CBS News and is set to remain at the network.

"Rumors of my demise were inaccurate and greatly exaggerated," King said in a statement, alluding to rumblings last year that she would leave "CBS Mornings" after her current contract expires in May.

"CBS News is my longtime home, and I am committed to our mission," she added. "I'm excited about continuing at 'CBS Mornings.' As always, I'm open to new adventures here and ready to go. It took a minute, but we got there. And now that we are here, I am all in."

News of King's new contract was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Bari Weiss, the editor-in-chief of CBS News, said Wednesday, "we're so proud" that King will remain at the network.

"We're thrilled to have her on in the morning — and equally excited to work with her on new, enterprising projects that bring her talents to new audiences," Weiss added.

Questions about King's future with CBS arose last year after Variety reported that she was expected to depart as an anchor of "CBS Mornings" but could shift to a different role at the network.

At the time, a spokesperson for CBS News told USA TODAY that "there have been no discussions with Gayle about her contract that runs through May 2026," adding that the journalist is "a truly valued part of CBS and we look forward to engaging with her about the future."

The rumors came amid a series of behind-the-scenes changes at CBS News after Weiss was named editor-in-chief in October. "CBS Evening News" anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois both subsequently exited their roles, and in December, Tony Dokoupil was tapped as the evening newscast's new anchor. He moved from "CBS Mornings," which he hosted with King.

The hiring of Weiss, a former New York Times op-ed writer and founder of The Free Press, as CBS News' editor-in-chief sparked criticism last year, given her lack of experience in broadcast journalism. In December, Weiss came under fire after making the last-minute decision to pull a "60 Minutes" segment about the notorious El Salvador prison CECOT, which she argued needed additional work. The segment ultimately aired the following month.

Amid the changes at CBS and rumors about her future, King said in December she would not "negotiate in the press" while appearing on "Sherri."

"I hear things in the building, and one [thing] outside the building," King said. "I'll be reading an article and go, 'That's not true. That's not true. That's not true. That's not true.' So I've decided I'm going to stay out of the drama, and there is some drama. I'm going to stay out of that. I'm just going to continue to do my job."

She added, "I like the job. I'm told they like me."

News of King's new contract comes weeks after another change for CBS: In February, Anderson Cooper announced his departure from "60 Minutes" after two decades as a correspondent. He cited a desire to spend more time with his family.

"For nearly twenty years, I've been able to balance my jobs at CNN and CBS, but I have little kids now and I want to spend as much time with them as possible, while they still want to spend time with me," Cooper said.

Contributing: Melina Khan and KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY