Anderson Cooper is opening up about parenting.
The 52-year-old CNN anchor spoke to Howard Stern about his choice to raise his newborn son, Wyatt, with ex Benjamin Maisani.
“I don’t really have a family, and so my friends become my family. And this is somebody that I was involved with for 10 years, he’s a great guy,” he explained.
“We didn’t work out as a couple…but when I was a little kid, it was just my mom and my brother. But it was my mom and she was not the most parental person and I wish some adult, after my dad died, had stepped in,” he went on to say.
“So I thought, if something happens to me or even if something doesn’t happen to me, the more people love my son and are in his life, I’m all for that. My ex is a great guy and it’s good to have two parents, if you can.”
He also revealed he plans to have Wyatt call him “dad” or “daddy” and Benjamin “papa.” Plus, Benjamin, who is from France, will speak to him in French too!
He also revealed which famous gay dad reached out to him after hearing the news.
Watch Anderson Cooper explain…
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 90 | May 16, 2020 7:42 PM |
Anderson ugly cries at the end of Searching for Bobby Fischer
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | May 13, 2020 2:20 PM |
I'm 57. Like Anderson Cooper, I never thought when I was in my twenties, thirties, and even into my forties that I as a gay man would be able to have children. I'm happy that gay men and lesbian women as couples can have children. And I wish Anderson Cooper the best in raising his son with his ex.
What nags at me is that many gay men use surrogates, rather than adoption. I understand the pull of wanting to pass along your genes, but I truly believe that an adopted child is just as much yours as one who is from your loins. There are so many young children (especially gay children or special needs' children) from infancy to teens who need loving parents.
Again, I'm happy for him. I'm not Jewish, but it's a wonderful love-filled expression...Mazel tov to him! Surrogacy, however, is not the only way to make a family.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | May 13, 2020 2:59 PM |
Anderson wanted the kid to be a real Vanderbilt.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | May 13, 2020 3:20 PM |
Anderson should spend more time with the baby he professes to love and LESS TIME making the rounds in the media proclaiming his love for his baby.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | May 13, 2020 3:24 PM |
The child needs females in his life too, and I say that as a gay man. I hope Anderson is not planning on raising that child in a 100% gay male environment.
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | May 13, 2020 3:27 PM |
There we go. Childless people who know better about raising children. It's a bit like priests who know better about sex and marital life.
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | May 13, 2020 3:31 PM |
Weird how we have so many "I"m gay but I think being a gay parent is bad" posters on Datalounge. All completely sincere, I'm sure.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | May 13, 2020 3:32 PM |
So can Ben have a boyfriend?
Does Ben live in the house? I'm guessing, yes.
Can Ben bring a bf over for sex or is he "officially celibate"?
What if there's a disagreement on certain baby-raising situations? Who has the last word?
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | May 13, 2020 3:35 PM |
[quote] Envy. It's called envy.
No what we are saying is that a baby is NOT an accessory
AC has spent more time making the media rounds talking about the baby than actually BEING with the baby
| by Anonymous | reply 12 | May 13, 2020 3:36 PM |
[quote] There we go. Childless people who know better about raising children.
But everyone has once been a child and was once raised by others. So everyone has practical experience of child rearing.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | May 13, 2020 3:38 PM |
Why Ben? Why not that Dallas doctor he dated for 10 minutes after his break up with Ben.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | May 13, 2020 3:39 PM |
You were at the receiving end. Not the same as being a parent, r13.
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | May 13, 2020 3:40 PM |
That's right r13. My memories from age 0-3, still very much intact, are going to qualify me to raise a baby.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | May 13, 2020 3:41 PM |
I have a hamster, I know how these things work.
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | May 13, 2020 3:43 PM |
No parent is "qualified" to raise a baby--there is no examination beforehand.
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | May 13, 2020 3:46 PM |
This poor lab baby is being raised by two whores who are in their 50s. The kid doesn’t have a chance.
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | May 13, 2020 3:48 PM |
If Anderson is so into raising a child, he should take a ONE YEAR Paternal leave and be with his baby (he can afford it) - like some other mothers do in other countries. In the USA it is a 3 month maternity leave.
But that would mean Anderson would be OFF the airwaves for a year, and his ego wouldn't allow it.
So again this is NOT envy, this is questioning whether AC is treating this baby like an accessory, to feed & fill up some emptiness inside of him.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | May 13, 2020 3:50 PM |
"...this is questioning whether AC is treating this baby like an accessory, to feed & fill up some emptiness inside of him."
Who in the freaking HELL would do something like THAT...???
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | May 13, 2020 3:55 PM |
I thought the beauty of being gay is that you didn't have to raise brats.
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | May 13, 2020 4:09 PM |
Why doesn't he have a family? No aunts, uncles, nephews etc?
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | May 13, 2020 4:09 PM |
I find surrogacy sort of narcissistic for sure. The world is overpopulated and there are so many kids out there already who need families, but of course they don't have those fancy Vanderbilt genes he wants to propagate.
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | May 13, 2020 4:13 PM |
R10 why envy? Anderson just bought a baby with money....
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | May 13, 2020 4:13 PM |
The child's first words were, "You mean you didn't get ANY of the Vanderbilt fortune??".
| by Anonymous | reply 26 | May 13, 2020 4:15 PM |
and Andy Cohen is thinking "What about me? I got a kid they could be like brothers" ain't we family?
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | May 13, 2020 4:24 PM |
How much time has he spent doing interviews compared to how much time he's spent with the baby, R13?
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | May 13, 2020 4:31 PM |
I was shocked listening to Anderson on Stern, he can't get a full sentence out without stammering, stuttering or just giving up half way through the point he's trying to make. Didn't he used to be eloquent ??
| by Anonymous | reply 29 | May 13, 2020 4:34 PM |
So what happens to Ben if Anderson gets a bf?
| by Anonymous | reply 30 | May 13, 2020 4:58 PM |
@r27, Andy will always be little Wyatt's "funny" uncle :)
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | May 13, 2020 5:03 PM |
[quote] I was shocked listening to Anderson on Stern, he can't get a full sentence out without stammering, stuttering or just giving up half way through the point he's trying to make. Didn't he used to be eloquent ??
No, he's always been a stutterer and stammerer. But isn't it amazing that we live in a country where those handicaps don;t prevent you from having a career as an anchorman? And all it takes it being a Vanderbilt.
| by Anonymous | reply 32 | May 13, 2020 5:33 PM |
I dunno, this seems like it will end in tears. I can't help but wonder if this is a way of getting Benjamin back in his life.
| by Anonymous | reply 33 | May 13, 2020 5:39 PM |
Wow. You people don't have much experience with LGBTQ families, do you. There is a plenty of precedent for this and similar arrangements for both gay men and lesbians. It's called chosen family, and it works as well--or better--than single or dual parent families.
Welcome to the 21st century, DL!
| by Anonymous | reply 34 | May 13, 2020 5:48 PM |
He can't do this on his own. He is know to be very very moody and very self centered. This was a bad idea but probably brought on by his friend Andy. I think Andy will do great but Anderson...
| by Anonymous | reply 35 | May 13, 2020 5:52 PM |
Loneliness and desperation often share the same bed...
| by Anonymous | reply 36 | May 13, 2020 5:52 PM |
I totally get that AC considers his ex as "his family". I spent 20 years in a relationship that eventually ran its course and we broke up. Both us moved on but we remain close friends. Neither of us are close to our biological families and, ten years after we split and despite subsequent relationships, he's still my closest family. AC is a workaholic and, if like me, may never find fulfillment in a romantic relationship. I can identify with that. Not everyone needs to be in a relationship to be happy. Took me years to figure that out.
| by Anonymous | reply 38 | May 13, 2020 5:56 PM |
R25, this was about DLers' envy.
| by Anonymous | reply 39 | May 13, 2020 6:01 PM |
r20 do you say that to single parents as well? This child will want for nothing, minus normal parents. People asking why the boyfriend came back aren't seeing the big picture. When a wealthy Vanderbilt asked you to move into his gigantic NYC mansion (townhouse?) you do it. You can either live in the lap of luxury spending Coopers money or get out and work. Didn't his gyms close or something? Either way, i'd just fuck Cooper, shop, and direct the help on the proper way to care for the child. Win-win. Cooper likes to play around so you can still have a side piece or two.
Anderson is not a bad looking guy.
| by Anonymous | reply 40 | May 13, 2020 6:02 PM |
Here is Anderson's country house in CT. Yeah, even if he annoys me I'd glady spend some days in CT to cool off before heading back to his NYC pad. I'd ask to officially adopt the child so if Cooper leaves I can fight for full custody (since he works so much) and hope of child support.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 41 | May 13, 2020 6:06 PM |
I bet Anderson is using the baby to get Ben back to have a family. His mom's death, and becoming a dad, must have traumatized him, and he needed something to calm his nerves and that was a familiar face and body like Ben. I think Ben gets dumped the moment Anderson found a new soul mate (how very Tom Bianchi of him).
| by Anonymous | reply 42 | May 13, 2020 6:12 PM |
I don't like him, and yes, he's an attention whore and shouldn't be talking about this to Howard Stern (of all people).
But I can't find fault with his comments at all - in fact I think they're kind of touching. Since Ben has obviously agreed to this, I suspect (or hope, anyway) they're both realizing that they're tired of the shallow life.
| by Anonymous | reply 43 | May 13, 2020 6:20 PM |
R8, pretty much all people with children will tell you that it's important for a child to have real-life role models of both sexes as it grows up.
| by Anonymous | reply 44 | May 13, 2020 6:29 PM |
Ben "didn't work out" as a boyfriend? They were together for years! What a weird way to phrase this.
| by Anonymous | reply 45 | May 13, 2020 6:32 PM |
also I should say I like Anderson Cooper and over the years he has been a good newscaster. I think he's a headcase. Recently wasn't he consuming only milkshakes for months if not years, because he can't deal with food? Couldn't he be on the spectrum somewhat? It will be great if Ben is a more all around guy and an extrovert.
| by Anonymous | reply 46 | May 13, 2020 6:36 PM |
[quote] She’s in her 20s and shouldn’t be hurting for money. What’s the big deal?
“We” don’t care about her; we care about potential effects on Matt.
| by Anonymous | reply 47 | May 13, 2020 6:51 PM |
[quote]I was shocked listening to Anderson on Stern, he can't get a full sentence out without stammering, stuttering or just giving up half way through the point he's trying to make. Didn't he used to be eloquent ??
Motherhood changes people.
| by Anonymous | reply 48 | May 13, 2020 6:52 PM |
That’s a small, kind of crummy kitchen for such a big deal house.
| by Anonymous | reply 49 | May 13, 2020 6:52 PM |
The kitchen if for the help and Anderson doesn't even eat solid foods most of the year so all he needs is an outlet for a blender and mini-fridge. He and the baby already have a lot in common.
| by Anonymous | reply 50 | May 13, 2020 7:29 PM |
I was hoping he would raise the kid with Kathy Griffin.
| by Anonymous | reply 51 | May 13, 2020 9:43 PM |
Kathy must be almost 70, no?
| by Anonymous | reply 52 | May 13, 2020 9:52 PM |
The kid could call her granny.
| by Anonymous | reply 53 | May 13, 2020 9:54 PM |
Her mother was like 90 when the show aired. Kathy might be around for awhile. The children will get a female influence from Kelly Ripa. Not sure how much good it will do, but she and Mark raised three kids so she’s not a bad role model.
| by Anonymous | reply 54 | May 13, 2020 9:55 PM |
[quote] There is a plenty of precedent for this and similar arrangements for both gay men and lesbians.
As Hillary Clinton says "It Takes A Village"
But let's face it, Anderson's village consists of hanger-ons and paid staff - that is the difference
| by Anonymous | reply 55 | May 13, 2020 10:04 PM |
[quote]Plus, Benjamin, who is from France, will speak to him in French too!
So many Americans -Madonna, Angelina Jolie, Anderson Cooper and many others, seem overly enamoured and obsessed with the French language and having their kids speak it to show off, when it's utterly useless given that Spanish is the most important other language in the U.S. Also, France has been on the decline for decades and will never be of economic importance, so the only chance those kids will get to use the language is ordering a croissant at a cafe when on holiday in Paris 20 years from now. Why not have the kid learn Mandarin, Japanese, Russian, German or even Arabic? Reminds me of posh UK kids having to learn Latin back in the day.
| by Anonymous | reply 56 | May 14, 2020 7:58 AM |
French has lots of value. And yes, people want to show off their French-speaking spawn.
| by Anonymous | reply 57 | May 14, 2020 8:33 AM |
R56 sounds like some sort of Communist. French is a wonderfully glamorous and sophisticated language. You’re probably the same one who thinks Anderson should’ve adopted some Mongoloid instead of passing on his Vanderbilt genes.
| by Anonymous | reply 58 | May 14, 2020 8:44 AM |
Ben is probably the sperm donor, I can't imagine Anderson's anemic little swimmers getting much done.
| by Anonymous | reply 59 | May 14, 2020 9:55 AM |
[quote]sounds like some sort of Communist. French is a wonderfully glamorous and sophisticated language
No, it's not. I speak it, by the way. It's only "glamorous" to arriviste Americans, the same ones obsessed with the British Royal Family and think perfunctory English habits and customs, such as tea and scones are the epitomai of "classy". I wish my parents had immersed me in Spanish, instead.
| by Anonymous | reply 60 | May 14, 2020 10:52 AM |
Today, Thursday the 14th, Anderson is guest on "Ellen," Check local listings.
| by Anonymous | reply 61 | May 14, 2020 11:16 AM |
[quote]epitomai of "classy"
This is my new email signature.
| by Anonymous | reply 62 | May 14, 2020 11:18 AM |
R49, Kitchen, smitchen.. five-days-a-week he lives in a former fire house in Greenwich Village.
| by Anonymous | reply 63 | May 14, 2020 11:22 AM |
French is a cosmopolitan thing where you show off that you're someone, or an entire family, who travels a lot in a sophisticated manner (not just for business). Spanish is something you learn for work related issues or you move there. Latin on the other hand is for the sophisticated, intellectual crowd (and it is the base for all Romance languages after all).
| by Anonymous | reply 64 | May 14, 2020 1:25 PM |
French is fine, still, for a lot of Africa. Also a long history of culture, literature to enjoy. Also still the 2nd language of diplomacy.
| by Anonymous | reply 65 | May 14, 2020 1:54 PM |
You all have witnessed the beginning of a fucked up child.
| by Anonymous | reply 66 | May 14, 2020 2:00 PM |
R65 is right that French is important in a lot of Africa, but that "2nd language of diplomacy" thing hasn't been true for decades. So literally, people are making their kids learn French so they can show off at parties. A party trick.
| by Anonymous | reply 67 | May 14, 2020 2:33 PM |
Who says these types of families aren’t teaching their children Spanish and a another non-romantic language. The difference is that they would have little reason to show off the Spanish because It’s not viewed as sexy. It’s a working blue collar language, like Italian once upon a time in America. Trust me their schools push Mandarin and Spanish, with French to maintain that nod to the past. Also French is spoken in a lot of places so if you have French, Spanish, and English you are set in the majority of the west, and large parts of Africa.
| by Anonymous | reply 68 | May 14, 2020 2:41 PM |
Btw, if there is a Middle East, East, and west (Europe/the Americas), what do we call Africa? I assume it should also be considered the West, right?
Serious random question.
| by Anonymous | reply 69 | May 14, 2020 2:43 PM |
French is the 2nd language of diplomacy NOW. Until the 50s, it was the 1st and had been for hundreds of years. It pales in comparison to English in diplomacy, but it is the 2nd. NOW.
| by Anonymous | reply 70 | May 14, 2020 2:46 PM |
I’m a native Spanish speaker and took French in high school and college. My knowledge of Spanish, although informal and mostly spoken, helped tremendously since all Romance languages have the same basic structure. The same is true for all of them: once you can master one the others come more easily. Little Wyatt can easily take Spanish in school and be a trilingual child.
| by Anonymous | reply 71 | May 14, 2020 2:47 PM |
It's one thing for a child to have an extended "family", god parents, honorary aunts and uncles. But asking someone you're not in a relationship with to be your child's other parent? That's...odd.
| by Anonymous | reply 72 | May 14, 2020 6:03 PM |
I like Anderson, but am turned off by his publicity tour since having his son. He’s appeared on THE HOWARD STERN SHOW, LIVE WITH KELLY AND RYAN, WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE and now ELLEN.
| by Anonymous | reply 73 | May 15, 2020 12:03 AM |
He should have used the same surrogate as Andy Cohen. Then it would be a real family. Little surrogate cousins.
| by Anonymous | reply 74 | May 15, 2020 12:11 AM |
He says he has no family but he has two older half-brothers - so I don’t really get what that’s about. And though it stops no one these days, I think having older parents sucks for a kid. I thought my parents were old when they had me at in their very late 30’s and all my friends parents were mostly in their early 20’s. But to have a white haired 57 year old dad taking you to first grade always seems like a selfish parent to me. But, whatever. Anderson had a very odd relationship with his mom, has weird food phobias and is quite an oddball himself. Good for him though. It’s what he wants and he can pay others to do all the heavy lifting. I thought the same thing when Hoda K. got her kid but at least she did adopt. Hooray for the geriatric parent set I guess.
| by Anonymous | reply 75 | May 15, 2020 12:12 AM |
I have no problem with this at all..........I hope they have a great legal document tho in case something happens where Ben ends up on the outs with Anderson. I think its great that he has a good relationship with his ex and wants to co parent with him.
The one thing I do notice is a hell of a lot of people sure do assume a lot about a once famous rich famiy. The vanderbilts WERE robber barrons and very wealthy but that was 110 years ago. VIrtually none of the original robber baron fotunes are in tact anymore except for the doris duke foundation. Doris Duke died in 1994 a billionaire. The only reason the fortune made it that long was because she was an ONLY child and inherited the money when she was 13 in the 1920 s when inheritance tax wasnt so large. The Rockefeller foundation is large but there are so many offspring that nobody is obscenely rich in that family.
The remaining vanderbilts have no vast personal fortune. Anderson had supported financially his mom for at least her last 20 years and paid for her 1 bedroom co op in the Beekman area. With his tough in many ways childhood he will probably make a great father. And who says he wont have women in the picture with the kid? I am sure he has round the clock nannys and will have for years. I am happy for him and the kid is very lucky.
| by Anonymous | reply 76 | May 15, 2020 12:35 AM |
[quote]Recently wasn't he consuming only milkshakes for months if not years, because he can't deal with food?
Don't forget the daily regimen of turkey sandwiches, r46.
| by Anonymous | reply 77 | May 15, 2020 1:04 AM |
Anderson Cooper turns 53 in June. I think the issue of mortality weighs heavily at this stage (and having lost his mom recently) so not at all surprising he is wanting a "family unit" around him as fallback or security for his child in case something happens to him.
| by Anonymous | reply 78 | May 15, 2020 1:15 AM |
Having an unhinged ex-whore coparent worked out really well for Jeff. Lewis' accessory baby worked out really well!
| by Anonymous | reply 79 | May 15, 2020 1:41 AM |
When a loved one dies, people lose a vital part of their (day to day) support system and some look for exes to fill the void that was created by a loved one dying.
| by Anonymous | reply 80 | May 15, 2020 6:11 AM |
Have there been any leaked nudes for Ben? I'd love for some verificatia of his supposedly substantial sizemeat.
| by Anonymous | reply 81 | May 15, 2020 9:30 AM |
"He says he has no family but he has two older half-brothers - so I don’t really get what that’s about. And though it stops no one these days, I think having older parents sucks for a kid. But to have a white haired 57 year old dad taking you to first grade..."
You touched on two points of which I was thinking, too.
AC will probably be dead before this kid reaches 30. That's going to be difficult for the boy. And yes, it will look like grandpa taking his grandchild to elementary school.
And I can't believe there isn't a blood relative out there...somewhere...to share the parenting duties. What does Ben do for a living? I thought he sold his club?
| by Anonymous | reply 82 | May 15, 2020 11:11 AM |
Anderson is probably smart enough to have an ironclad contract in place to protect his fortune when his relationship with Ben falls to shit. But Ben is probably also smart enough to get enough money out of the deal to make it worthwhile for him to serve as a sorta-dad to someone else's son who could be fired and shunned at any moment.
I wish them the best and I firmly believe in the "it takes a village" approach to child raising but I just can't see Ben sticking around for the long term, at least not longer than 5 years max.
| by Anonymous | reply 83 | May 15, 2020 12:36 PM |
Didn't work out as a couple (after 10 years) probably means the sex wasn't sizzling anymore. With that as a requirement, they could both be single for the rest of their lives.
| by Anonymous | reply 84 | May 15, 2020 1:00 PM |
Anderson press tour still beats seeing Matt Boomer hold back tears on Live as he pretends that his children didn’t even exist. I’ll take a proud father gushing about his son, with talk shows desperately in need of content to fill their time slots, over an obviously gay actor cowardly erasing his own children on live TV.
| by Anonymous | reply 85 | May 15, 2020 2:47 PM |
If I were Ben, I wouldn't get tangled up in this unless Anderson put a ring on it and I was allowed to adopt the child. That way, when Anderson gets bored and moves on to the next sidepiece, I'd have some legal and financial protections. There's no point bonding with a child that the parent could snatch away from you at any moment, and it's foolish to give up your life to play mommy unless daddy is willing to support you no matter what.
| by Anonymous | reply 86 | May 15, 2020 2:59 PM |
Wow, I didn't know that about Bomer. I'm not even a casual fan but the few times I've seen him in interviews, he seems sorta "off" and he's not a very talented actor. He's like a brainless, boring version of Rob Lowe IMO.
Maybe he's a terrific dad, though.
| by Anonymous | reply 87 | May 15, 2020 3:01 PM |
Yeah, after that interview he came out. Because his sugar daddy was paying for them none of the children shares his beautiful genes, from what I heard on DL. Such a waste.
| by Anonymous | reply 88 | May 15, 2020 3:11 PM |
Just send it off to boarding school.
Problem solved!
| by Anonymous | reply 89 | May 15, 2020 3:22 PM |
I think it's a great idea.
| by Anonymous | reply 90 | May 16, 2020 7:42 PM |
