At 57, Anderson Cooper says he’s only now beginning to grieve the family he lost decades ago. Becoming a father, he says, has brought him face-to-face with feelings he once avoided.

Anderson Cooper didn’t expect to become a parent in his fifties. But at 52, he welcomed a son through surrogacy, naming him after the father he lost as a child. Two years later, he became a dad again.

Now, he is raising two young boys in an arrangement that defies convention but works by design. In the process, the writer and producer has learnt to confront parts of his personal history he once left untouched.

Anderson was twelve years old when he realized he was gay. From that moment on, he believed fatherhood was out of reach. “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 would later reveal.

It was a conclusion shaped by the time he grew up in, long before surrogacy and same-sex parenting became part of mainstream public life. He publicly came out decades 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 remained something he never imagined for himself. The change only came in his early fifties, when he decided to pursue fatherhood through surrogacy—a decision that would alter not only his life but the shape of his family.

On April 30, 2020, Anderson ended his CNN broadcast with personal news: he had become a father. His son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, had been born three days earlier, on April 27, via surrogate. The next day, Anderson introduced his son to the public on Instagram.

Alongside a picture of the infant, 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, came from Anderson’s mother’s side — a name his parents once considered for him when he was born.

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

Wyatt was born via surrogate, and Anderson used the moment to publicly thank the woman who carried his son. “I am grateful to a remarkable surrogate who carried Wyatt, and watched over him lovingly, and tenderly, and gave birth to him,” he added.

He also acknowledged her husband and children, calling their support an “extraordinary blessing” and saying, “My family is blessed to have this family in our lives.” The post also touched on the family members Anderson wished could have shared 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.”

Anderson raised Wyatt from the start alongside his friend and former partner, Benjamin Maisani, with whom he had previously been in a long-term relationship. Although the pair had separated in 2018, they remained close, and Anderson later confirmed that they had decided to raise Wyatt together.

By the time Wyatt was 16 months old, their arrangement had settled into a rhythm. Anderson described their dynamic as strong, though not without the occasional disagreement over everyday decisions. He considered Benjamin a great parent and said they loved each other as family.

He acknowledged that while they occasionally disagreed on minor parenting decisions — such as when Wyatt should attend swimming class or whether he should wear overalls — those were small matters. “All silly, minor things. We get along great,” he said.

Anderson explained that their decision to co-parent was grounded in mutual respect. Benjamin, for his part, noted, “Anderson has changed a lot since Wyatt arrived. He’s happy and relaxed in a way he’s never been before. Wyatt has grounded him.”

Nearly two years after welcoming Wyatt, Anderson announced the birth of his second son, Sebastian Luke. The baby was born in February 2022 via surrogate. Anderson introduced him publicly through a photo posted on Instagram with the caption, “Cuddling with Sebastian the day after he was born.”

This time, Anderson made a change to the naming. Sebastian was given the hyphenated last name Maisani-Cooper, reflecting the shared role both men played in parenting. While Anderson had previously referred to Benjamin as a co-parent, this marked a more formal recognition of their commitment as a parenting team.

By that time, the pair had settled into a routine that worked. They continued living together and co-parenting, managing the responsibilities of raising two young boys in a structure built on consistency and mutual involvement. With Sebastian’s birth, their family expanded, but their parenting approach remained the same.

Fatherhood brought Anderson a sense of connection he hadn’t expected. As Wyatt grew, Anderson began noticing features that reminded him of his late brother. “I’ve started to realize how much Wyatt looks like Carter, who looked [like] my mom,” he said in 2021.

That resemblance sparked something deeper. Anderson described feeling a renewed bond to them. Raising his children has given Anderson what he described as an extraordinary connection to his loved ones who are no longer alive.

He spoke about how the experience stirred memories of his childhood and deepened his awareness of family continuity. One example was when he found a set of wooden blocks he and Carter had played with as boys. Seeing Wyatt now building with those same blocks left an impression on him.

“We drew robots on them and stuff,” Anderson recalled of his childhood. “So now to see Wyatt playing with those and building things, it’s crazy.” For Anderson, it was a tangible moment in which the past and present met inside his own home.

The 57-year-old father of two has experienced several major losses throughout his life. His father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, died in 1978 when Anderson was ten. A decade later, his older brother, Carter, died by suicide at the age of 23. In 2019, his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, passed away from stomach cancer at 95.

For years, Anderson continued working without fully confronting the grief tied to those events. That began to change after he became a father. In a 2024 interview on “The Late Show,” Anderson said, “I have lived my life without allowing myself to feel great sadness.”

He also added that parenting had opened him up emotionally in ways he hadn’t expected. He explained that by avoiding grief for so long, he had also dulled his ability to feel joy. Anderson began speaking more openly about his experiences through his podcast, “All There Is with Anderson Cooper.”

He has said that talking about grief has helped him feel less alone. Discussing the subject with guests who have experienced their losses, he’s explored what it means to live with grief rather than try to move past it. One idea he referenced was the concept of forming a “companionship with grief,” something he said he now finds meaningful.

Anderson lives with Benjamin and their two sons in New York City and also spends time at their home in Connecticut. Their daily routine involves shared caregiving. In September 2023, Anderson described how they structure their days.

He explained that he works nights while Benjamin handles bedtime, and both are up early to start the day with their sons. He added that Benjamin speaks French to the boys. “I have no idea what they’re saying. I think they’re plotting against me,” he joked.

Anderson has said he tries to model his parenting after the father he lost at age ten. Speaking to Stephen Colbert, he explained, “I would like my kids to see me as I saw my dad, who was just a remarkable dad.”

He recalled how his father treated him and his brother “as little human beings,” letting them be part of adult 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 a little bit,” he narrated.

Anderson said that feeling of being valued left a lasting impression. “It’s a remarkable gift to feel like your voice matters and that somebody sees you and loves you unconditionally,” he stated. Wyatt and Sebastian get along well, said Anderson.

Since introducing them to the public, Anderson has received an outpouring of comments from followers who often point out just how much the boys resemble him. “Wyatt looks just like his daddy. ❤️” commented one Instagrammer, while another one exclaimed, “Wyatt is dada’s twin! 🥰❤️.”

One follower wrote, “Wow what a cutie! He is your twin!” while another remarked, “He looks very much like his papi.” One called him a “handsome little man.” The resemblance hasn’t gone unnoticed when it comes to both boys.

After Anderson posted photos of Wyatt and Sebastian together, users commented on their shared features, especially their eyes. One wrote, “Their blue eyes like yours so pretty 💙💙,” while another said, “Your twins and they look like you ❤️❤️❤️❤️.” Others simply added, “They are so beautiful.”

Though the CNN anchor has remained private about many aspects of his personal life, he has continued to share photos of his sons on special occasions. Public responses consistently highlight the visible bond between father and children—something followers have connected with in a deeply personal way.