Anderson Cooper has credited Richard Gere with helping him realize his sexuality due to a movie he did in the 1960s.
Anderson Cooper, one of the faces and long-standing staff at CNN, is opening up about his sexual awakening. “The Anderson Cooper 360°” host, while appearing on “Radio Andy” with his friend and host Andy Cohen, spilled all the tea.
Cooper disclosed he was 11 years old when watching a shirtless Richard Gere helped him realize he was gay. The TV host explained that his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt’s gay friends Truman Capote, Gore Vidal, and Paul Jasmin took him to a Broadway show.
The movie the trio took Cooper to watch was coincidentally Richard Gere’s “Bent.” The film, about two gay guys in the concentration camp, enlightened Cooper. He even tagged the opening scene the gayest thing one can imagine.
The TV host noted his thoughts after watching the opening scene where a man got out of bed completely naked after having had sex with another man the night before. He said:
“I just remember being like, ‘Oh my God, I’m gay. … I’m totally gay.’
Paul Jasmin, one of the people who took Cooper to the show, was also the photographer who took pictures for American Gigolo. So, after the event, he took Cooper backstage, where a shirtless Richard Gere was waiting in his dressing room.
Cooper, 11, couldn’t speak, and although he had a playbill he wanted Gere to sign, he just couldn’t stop staring at the actor’s chest. However, years later, he recounted the story to Gere and finally got his playbill signed. According to Cooper, the actor felt very tickled with his story.
Anderson Came Out As Gay in 2012
Although Cooper realized his sexual orientation as a teenager, it took him years before he made it public. Finally, in 2012, the TV host made the announcement in an email published online. In it, Cooper declared he was proud of his sexuality and had decided to make it public in case anyone thought he was ashamed.
Cooper explained he had not earlier made the information known because of personal and professional reasons. Meanwhile, in their statement, CNN, where the host works, demonstrated there were no plans for Cooper to address the matter on air.
In the mail, Cooper explained it occurred to him that being silent gave the wrong impression that he was trying to hide something. He wrote:
“The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud. I have always been open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, family, and colleagues.”
Before he released the mail, rumors about his sexual orientation floated around. Finally, the TV host doused those fires with his public announcement.
The TV Host is Father To Two Children
Away from his news reporting duties, Cooper is also a doting father of two adorable children. He welcomed his first child Wyatt Morgan in April 2020. The news anchor announced the news by sharing pictures of his sweet kid on Instagram.
Baby Wyatt, conceived via surrogate, weighed 7.2lbs at birth. Cooper named the kid after his father. A year after his birth Cooper appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” where he discussed giving his son a sibling.
The news reporter did precisely that when he announced the birth of his second child Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper in February 2022. While introducing his second child to fans, he said:
“He was 6.8 pounds at birth, and he is healthy and happy,” Cooper said while introducing Sebastian to the world. “Even his occasional hiccups are, to me, adorable,” adding that the newborn “mostly just sleeps and eats and he certainly poops, but he already seems like a wise and thoughtful little chap.“
Like most new fathers, Cooper explained that Fatherhood changed his life. The news reporter explained he wakes up earlier instead of being a late riser. He noted that he spent most of his life trying to get a story; however, fatherhood feels like he just started his actual life.