Celebrity doctor, Peter Attia, has resigned his news contributor role with TV network CBS, following public scrutiny of his email exchanges with late and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein.

In a statement on Monday, Mr Attia’s spokesman said the decision to leave the television network was necessary to curb potential distractions and help viewers maintain focus on CBS’s main media work.

“Dr Attia’s contributor role was newly established and had not yet meaningfully begun. As such, he stepped back to ensure his involvement didn’t become a distraction from the important work being done at CBS,” the spokesperson said. “He wishes the network and its leadership well and has no further comment at this time.”

According to reports, Mr Attia’s name featured more than 1,700 times in the Epstein files, a document which detailed an investigation into the lifestyle of sex offender and child trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein.

Details of the files released by the U.S. Justice Department revealed that Mr Attia and Mr Epstein exchanged jokes, scheduled meetings and discussed the sex offender’s health status.

Reacting to concerns about his relationship with Mr Epstein earlier in February, Mr Attia, in a post on X, denied being involved in any criminal activity.

“I was not involved in any criminal activity. My interactions with Epstein had nothing to do with his sexual abuse or exploitation of anyone. I was never on his plane, never on his island, and never present at any sex parties,” Mr Attia stated. “That said, I apologise and regret putting myself in a position where emails, some of them embarrassing, tasteless, and indefensible, are now public, and that is on me. I accept that reality and the humiliation that comes with it.”

In the social media post, Mr Attia also explained that he was not Mr Epstein’s doctor, although he “answered general medical questions and recommended other (health) providers to him” several times.