Who is Peter Attia? Influencer, CBS newsroom contributor resigns after Epstein Files reveal

Physician-turned-influencer Peter Attia resigned from his new contributor position at CBS News following new revelations about his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. According to several reports, the documents released by the US Department of Justice showed hundreds of emails the commentator exchanged with the late financier, Epstein.

Attia had more than a million subscribers on his YouTube channel. His 2023 book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity became a major bestseller, and his podcast The Peter Attia Drive has millions of listeners.

According to CNN, Attia also stepped down from his role as Chief Science Officer at David protein bars, the company’s CEO said on X.

Attia, who has not been charged with criminal wrongdoing in connection with Epstein, wrote in a post on X earlier this month, “My interactions with Epstein had nothing to do with his sexual abuse or exploitation of anyone.”

But the released files revealed that Attia sent Epstein some vulgar notes about women, and in a June 24, 2015 email, Attia wrote to Epstein that the "biggest problem" with being friends was "the life you lead is so outrageous and yet I can't talk about it to anyone," AFP reported.

For example, Attia had written in 2016, “P*ssy is, indeed, low-carb. Still awaiting results on gluten content, though.”

The Washington Post reported that his name appears in hundreds of documents in the Epstein case.

A spokesman for Attia reportedly told CNBC the longevity guru's role had "not meaningfully begun" and he resigned to avoid becoming "a distraction from the important work being done at CBS."

“As such, he stepped back to ensure his involvement didn’t become a distraction from the important work being done at CBS. He wishes the network and its leadership well and has no further comment at this time,” the spokesperson was quoted by CNN as saying.

In the X post dated February 2, Attia described the Epstein he knew as "a funder of science" who "moved openly among credible institutions and public figures."

"In retrospect, the presence and credibility of such venerable people in different orbits led me to make assumptions about him that clouded my judgment in ways it shouldn't have," Attia wrote.

Attia said he visited Epstein's New York City home "seven or eight" times between 2014 and 2019 "regarding research studies and to meet others he introduced me to."