The longevity influencer Peter Attia has resigned from his position as a contributor to CBS News after backlash over the revelation of his relationship with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

CBS News named Dr. Attia as one of a stable of new contributors in January, just days before the Justice Department released a trove of Epstein files that included more than 1,700 documents with Dr. Attia’s name in them. After the files were released, the network went silent on the matter, with representatives not responding to multiple requests for comment on the future of Dr. Attia’s position.

“Dr. Attia’s contributor role was newly established and had not yet meaningfully begun,” a spokesman for Dr. Attia said. “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.”