When Anderson Cooper’s son was born in 2020, it changed many things for the famous news host, who never thought fatherhood was possible because of his sexuality.
Anderson Cooper was born in New York City on June 3, 1967. His father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, was a writer, and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, was a designer and railroad heiress. Due to his mother’s fame and lifestyle, young Anderson was quickly thrown into the limelight.
As a child, he was photographed by Diane Arbus to appear on the cover of the magazine “Harper’s Bazaar.” He also worked as a child model for brands like Macy’s and Ralph Lauren. However, his life was disrupted when young Anderson lost his father, who died during open-heart surgery in 1978.
Ten years later, Anderson had to deal with another tragic death after his brother committed suicide by jumping from the 14th-floor window of their mother’s apartment in New York. Due to these two tragic events, Anderson became interested in why some people survive, and others do not, which fueled his drive to become a reporter.
In 1980 Anderson was enrolled at a private institution called Dalton School in Manhattan. After graduating, he attended Yale University, majoring in Political Science.
Anderson’s TV Career
After graduating from Yale in 1989, he began his career in news reporting by working as a fact-checker for Channel One. After impressing with his footage of the strife in Myanmar and some parts of Africa, the station promoted him to the Chief International Correspondent role for Channel One
Due to his impressive performance at Channel One, ABC News came calling, and Anderson answered. His first role was that of a correspondent before becoming co-anchor of Works News Now. In 2000 he left his role as co-anchor due to the demanding schedule but returned a year later after the 9/11 terrorist.
A couple of months later, he joined CNN as a correspondent and substitute anchor. However, his most prominent role came in 2003 when CNN gave him his show “Anderson Cooper 360°.”
The show’s aim was to examine the major stories around the world and it became an instant success. Over the subsequent years, he covered prominent events like Hurricane Katrina and the Boston Marathon Bombing.
He has also won a slew of awards, including the Peabody and National Headliner Awards in 2005 for his reports on the Indian Ocean Tsunami. A year later, he won an Edward R. Murrow Award for his Coral reef report.
Anderson Reveals He is Gay.
Anderson had spent years refusing to discuss his sexuality until 2012 when he surprisingly revealed he was gay. This was disclosed in an email he sent to the Daily Beast’s reporter Andrew Sullivan.
The CNN anchor sent the mail in response to an article by Entertainment Weekly, which discussed the restrained way more public figures were coming out as gay.
Anderson explained he kept his sexuality a secret for professional reasons. But then considered coming out when he realized keeping it private had some unintended consequences. In the mail, Anderson declared he was very happy to be gay and felt comfortable and proud of himself.
Answering questions on CNN’s Full Circle, Anderson explained he started suspecting something was wrong with his sexuality at age 7. Although, people knew about his sexuality in high school, it was after college that Anderson started loving his sexuality. He declared that being gay is one of the greatest blessings of his life. Also it made him a better person and a better reporter.
Welcoming Fatherhood
In April 2020, Anderson pleasantly surprised his fans when he announced he had become a dad. The veteran TV host the shared pictures of his adorable son Wyatt Morgan Cooper on Instagram.
Anderson Cooper’s son Wyatt, weighed 7.2 lbs at birth, and was named after the reporter’s father. The baby’s middle name Morgan is also a family name from Anderson’s mother’s family.
The award-winning reporter confessed he never thought becoming a father was possible while he grew up. He said:
“As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child, and I’m grateful for all those who have paved the way, and for the doctors and nurses and everyone involved in my son’s birth.”
Anderson was also profoundly grateful to the surrogate who carried his baby and watched over him tenderly before giving birth to the boy. He also praised what all surrogates do for families who can not have kids.
A year later, Anderson marked his son’s first birthday by posting a heartwarming message for the boy on social media. He also posted a picture of Wyatt smiling and holding a red balloon.
Family History Book and Welcoming Second Son
Meanwhile, to make sure Anderson Cooper’s son Wyatt knows his family’s history, the first time father explained he was writing a book about the Vanderbilt family.
According to the TV host, the book which is titled “Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty,” will include details about the rise and fall of the family, and it will be in the form of a letter to Wyatt.
In February 2022, Anderson became a two-time dad when he welcomed his second son Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper. The “Anderson Cooper 360” anchor announced the news via his Instagram, where he posted a picture of himself cradling his son.
Anderson then announced that he would be taking a few weeks off to be with his family and that he and his partner Benjamin Maisani would raise both Wyatt and Sebastian.
The veteran news anchor also used the moment to remember his late parents and brother. Anderson disclosed he imagined them having their arms around each other and smiling as he announced the birth of Wyatt. Although they were no longer alive, he felt they watched over him and his kids. He explained:
“The family I was born into may be gone, but I feel them alive in the family we’ve created, new love, and new life.”
Anderson Cooper’s Son Wyatt Appears in April Fool’s Prank.
In an April fools prank, Anderson Cooper and his friend Andy Cohen posted pictures of their sons Wyatt Cooper and Benjamin Cohen, seemingly hosting the “Watch What Happens Live” show on Instagram.
The adorable picture showed Anderson Cooper’s son sitting opposite Benjamin, who sat in his father’s chair as the host, while Wyatt sat as the guest. Andy and Anderson often post pictures of their sons hanging out together on their social media. The kids look to be best friends just like their fathers.
