Anderson Cooper Didn’t Expect to Be a Father — Now at 52, He’s Raising Two Sons

At 57, Anderson Cooper admits he’s only now beginning to truly grieve the family he lost decades ago. Fatherhood, he says, has brought long-buried emotions to the surface—feelings he once worked hard to avoid.

Anderson Cooper speaks during The 15th Annual CNN Heroes: All-Star Tribute on December 12, 2021 | Source: Getty Images

Anderson never imagined becoming a parent in his fifties. But at 52, he welcomed his first child via surrogacy—a son he named after the father he lost as a boy. Two years later, he became a dad again.

Today, he’s raising two little boys in an unconventional setup that’s been intentionally built to suit their lives. In doing so, the award-winning journalist and producer has found himself confronting aspects of his personal story he had long left untouched.

Anderson was just twelve when he realized he was gay. From that moment on, he believed having children would never be an option. “When I was 12 years old and knew I was gay and thought about my life, it always upset me because I thought, ‘I will never be able to have a kid,’” he later shared.

That belief was shaped by the times he grew up in—decades before surrogacy and same-sex parenting entered the public mainstream. He came out publicly much later, in 2012, in an email to journalist Andrew Sullivan, writing, “I’ve always known I was gay from the time I was a little kid.”

Still, the idea of having children seemed distant and unrealistic—until his early fifties, when he made the life-changing decision to pursue fatherhood through surrogacy.

On April 30, 2020, Anderson closed his CNN show with personal news: he had become a father. His son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, had been born just three days earlier, on April 27. The following day, he introduced Wyatt to the world on Instagram.

Alongside a photo of his newborn, he wrote, “This is Wyatt Cooper. He is three days old. He is named after my father, who died when I was ten.” Wyatt weighed 7.2 pounds at birth. His middle name, Morgan, comes from Anderson’s mother’s side—a name his parents once considered for him.

“I recently found a list they made 52 years ago when they were trying to think of names for me,” he added. The name reflected a deep connection to his past, especially to his late father, whose early death had left a lasting impact.

Anderson took a moment to thank the surrogate who made Wyatt’s birth possible. “I am grateful to a remarkable surrogate who carried Wyatt, watched over him lovingly and tenderly, and gave birth to him,” he wrote.

He also expressed gratitude to her husband and children, calling their support “an extraordinary blessing,” and adding, “My family is blessed to have this family in our lives.” In that same post, Anderson reflected on the loved ones who weren’t there to share the moment.

“I do wish my mom and dad and my brother, Carter, were alive to meet Wyatt,” he wrote. “But I like to believe they can see him. I imagine them all together, arms around each other, smiling and laughing… that their love is alive in me and in Wyatt, and that our family continues.”

From the beginning, Anderson co-parented Wyatt with his longtime friend and former partner, Benjamin Maisani. Though the two ended their romantic relationship in 2018, they remained close, and Anderson confirmed that they had chosen to raise Wyatt together.

Benjamin Maisani and Anderson Cooper pictured on November 2, 2015 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

By the time Wyatt was 16 months old, their co-parenting dynamic had found a steady rhythm. While they occasionally disagreed over small things—like swimming classes or whether Wyatt should wear overalls—Anderson said those were minor, lighthearted moments. “All silly, minor things. We get along great,” he noted.

He spoke with great respect for Benjamin, calling him a wonderful parent and saying they loved each other as family. Benjamin, for his part, said fatherhood had changed Anderson—he was now more grounded and content than ever before.

Nearly two years after Wyatt’s arrival, Anderson shared that he had welcomed a second son. In February 2022, Sebastian Luke was born, also via surrogate. Cooper introduced him on Instagram with a photo captioned, “Cuddling with Sebastian the day after he was born.”

This time, Anderson made a change—Sebastian’s surname was hyphenated to Maisani-Cooper, a gesture that acknowledged their shared role in parenting more formally.

By then, the family’s structure was well-established. The two fathers continued living together, balancing daily responsibilities and offering their sons a life rooted in stability and love. With Sebastian’s birth, the family grew, but their parenting values remained the same.

Fatherhood brought Anderson an unexpected sense of emotional connection. As Wyatt grew, Anderson started noticing features that reminded him of his late brother, Carter. “I’ve started to realize how much Wyatt looks like Carter, who looked like my mom,” he said.

That resemblance sparked a deeper emotional awakening. Raising his children, he said, created a renewed bond with the family members he had lost.

One poignant moment came when Anderson found a box of old wooden blocks he and Carter had played with as kids. Watching Wyatt build with those same blocks felt surreal—like the past and present coexisting under the same roof.

Throughout his life, Anderson has faced significant loss. His father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, passed away in 1978 when Anderson was just ten. A decade later, his brother Carter died by suicide at age 23. Then in 2019, his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, died from stomach cancer at the age of 95.

Swiss-born socialite Gloria Vanderbilt runs down a street with her two sons Anderson Cooper and Carter Vanderbilt Cooper in March 1976 | Source: Getty Images

For many years, Anderson kept busy with work, never fully processing the weight of those losses. That began to change after he became a father. During a 2024 appearance on The Late Show, he admitted, “I have lived my life without allowing myself to feel great sadness.”

Parenthood, he said, had opened him up in ways he didn’t expect. He realized that by avoiding pain, he had also dulled his ability to feel joy. He began exploring these themes more publicly in his podcast All There Is with Anderson Cooper.

Through the show, he’s spoken openly about grief, finding comfort in sharing stories with others who have faced profound loss. He often talks about the idea of forming a “companionship with grief”—a phrase that now holds real meaning for him.

Benjamin Maisani and Anderson Cooper pose with their sons, posted on April 27, 2023 | Source: Instagram/andersoncooper

Anderson lives with Benjamin and their sons in New York City and spends time at their home in Connecticut. Their day-to-day life is structured around shared caregiving: Anderson works nights while Benjamin does bedtime, and mornings begin together as a family. Benjamin speaks French to the boys—Anderson jokes, “I have no idea what they’re saying. I think they’re plotting against me.”

He tries to emulate the kind of father he once had. “I’d like my kids to see me the way I saw my dad,” he told Stephen Colbert. He remembered how his father treated him and Carter with respect, always including them in conversations and making them feel heard.

“Every night after dinner, he and I would go off to a pizza place… we would sit and talk,” Anderson shared. That sense of being valued left a lasting imprint: “It’s a remarkable gift to feel like your voice matters and that somebody sees you and loves you unconditionally.”

Anderson says Wyatt and Sebastian get along well. Since introducing them to the world, fans have often pointed out how much the boys resemble him. “Wyatt looks just like his daddy ❤️,” one Instagram user wrote. Another commented, “Wyatt is daddy’s twin! 🥰❤️”

Others noted Sebastian’s resemblance too—especially their shared blue eyes. “Their blue eyes like yours so pretty 💙💙,” one wrote. Another added, “Your twins—they look like you ❤️❤️❤️❤️.”

Though Anderson remains private about much of his personal life, he occasionally shares photos of his sons on special occasions. The response is always heartfelt, with followers drawn to the warmth and visible bond between this devoted father and his two boys.