Is William Cope Moyers related to Bill Moyers? All about prominent journalist’s children as he passes away

William Cope Moyers, a former TV producer/journalist for CNN, is the son of Judith Davidson and Bill Moyers.

On Thursday, June 26, 2025, he confirmed the news of his father’s death to the Washington Post, revealing that he died from complications of prostate cancer. For those unaware, the celebrated broadcast journalist passed away at 91 in a Manhattan hospital.

Apart from being an ex-journalist, William Cope Moyers is an author. He wrote a memoir, Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption, recounting his struggles with alcoholism and substance use. In his book, William Cope Moyers opened up about the support he got from his late father.

William recalled a 1994 incident when Bill found him at an Atlanta crack house following “a four-day crack cocaine binge” that almost killed him. The former journalist mentioned his recovery in a letter addressed to his wife in October 2005, which he also included in the memoir. It read,

“Eleven years ago yesterday, I finally understood what recovery was all about. Sitting still, experiencing the pain, anger, fear, sadness, joy, freedom, and peace. Not on my agenda or my timelines. It only happened to me when I stopped trying to make it happen, when I gave up looking for it and allowed recovery to find me. . .”

William Cope Moyers also included many of Bill Moyers’ letters in his book. He described them (via the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation),

“[His letters are] a testament to a father's love for his son, a father's confusion with his son, and ultimately, a father's satisfaction with his son.”

William became the public advocate of the Hazelden Foundation (currently known as the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation) in 1996. He currently serves as the VP of public affairs and community relations for the Minnesota-based addiction recovery organization and is planning to retire by the end of 2025.

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William Cope Moyers struggled with painkillers after getting sober

The Broken author published another memoir last year, titled Broken Open: What Painkillers Taught Me about Life and Recovery. The new book explores William Cope Moyers’ struggles with an addiction to painkillers that a doctor prescribed him. Reflecting upon the latest challenge, the author said (via the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation),

“I thought I had all that I needed in the tools that had worked for me and been so important to my recovery journey up until that point—from regular recovery meetings to healthy daily practices that nurture my spirit to a rich community of people like me for support.”

He added,

“But, in this case, I needed something else, something more—a medication to quiet my craving brain. Only then could I move past the shame and confusion I had felt and embrace my evolving journey in a new way—not as a redemption story, but as a whole-life story—replete with failures, fears, joys, triumphs, and sorrows.”

During an interview with Scott Simon on Weekend Edition Saturday in 2024, William admitted that he and his doctors should have been “more vigilant.” Mayors also remarked (via NPR),

“We all were under the same assumption, Scott. Look, Moyers is a recovery advocate for Hazelden Betty Ford. He shares his story. He has decades of recovery. He'll be able to handle it. And, of course, I wasn't able to handle it.”

For those unaware, Williams’ 2024 memoir is a follow-up to his 2006 book. It features diary entries detailing the author’s struggles with opioid use while he tried to keep them a secret.

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William Cope Moyers has two siblings

Bill and Judith Davidson Moyers raised three children: Suzanne, William, and John. Their only daughter is a former teacher and education editor. Suzanne Moyers has authored a novel titled ‘Til All These Things Be Done.

She describes herself as a “lifelong history geek” and volunteers as an “archeologist, mudlarker, and metal detectorist,” per her official website.

William and Suzanne’s brother, John Davidson Moyers, is an artist who founded the currently defunct TomPaine.com. The website’s name was inspired by Thomas Paine, a political writer.

TomPaine.com was described as “an online public affairs journal of progressive analysis and commentary,” with its primary content being a mixture of originally published and third-party articles.