Anderson Cooper co-parents with his ex-boyfriend Benjamin Maisani the journalist’s two children. He refurbished a fire station to house the family and their three children.
The birth of Anderson Cooper’s second child was revealed on the “Anderson Cooper 360” program on February 10, 2022. The boy is shared by the CNN presenter with Benjamin Maisani, his best friend and previous longtime partner.
After working at a pub, businessman Benjamin decided to create his own, “Eastern Bloc.” Anderson was among the celebs he cultivated relationships with at his restaurant.
It’s likely that the couple fell in love at the bar, where the journalist used to frequent. Benjamin’s net worth was estimated by Wealthy Persons to be approximately $8 million; Anderson introduced him in his announcement about his new son by saying:
“This is Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper… 6.8 pounds at birth, healthy and happy [with] occasional [adorable] hiccups. He mostly sleeps, eats and poops, but already seems wise and thoughtful.”
In addition, the co-parent took the opportunity to express gratitude to the medical professionals who assisted in the boy’s birth. Anderson expressed his appreciation to the surrogate mother of his second son as well.
He expressed his gratitude to the woman and her family for their love and sacrifices shown to Sebastian during the previous year. The TV star had already made an on-air announcement about the birth of his children.
He announced the birth of Wyatt Morgan Cooper, his first son, on CNN in April 2020. During an interview on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” on February 25, 2022, Anderson provided viewers with an update on Wyatt’s bonding process with Sebastian. He stated:
They appear to be getting along just great. “Getting along well” — Sebastian, that is. Since he can’t yet speak Sebastian, he refers to him as Luke. He therefore wants to go say “Good morning, Luke,” every morning.
Following Sebastian’s birth, Anderson took a three-week paternity vacation to spend time with his new baby. Before the break, he chatted with Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest about how much he was enjoying his time with his boys, noting:
“Having the ability to return home and unwind is wonderful.”
“And every night to be able to feed Wyatt and give him his milk, he falls asleep on my chest, and there’s nothing better,” the father of two went on to describe their daily bonding ritual.
Anderson follows a morning ritual with the boys as well. Wyatt and Sebastian enjoy going for swims, and they go to the diner every morning. The happy father loves to read to his sons till they nod off in his arms in preparation for their afternoon snooze.
Wyatt and Sebastian get along well and even play with some of their well-known father’s old toys, which he formerly shared with his brother. The bond between her sons, according to Anderson, is “incredible” to watch.
Benjamin, a nightclub and property owner, began co-parenting Wyatt with Anderson at the time of his birth. Even though he and his ex were no longer dating, the news anchor clarified that he would co-parent, saying, “We’re a family.”
He disclosed in a conversation that their co-parenting arrangement is simple. Benjamin assumes responsibility for watching the kids when he leaves for work at night. They spend the first few hours of the day with them after waking up just before the boys do and getting them their milk. Anderson claims that Benjamin converses with their sons in French.
“We’re co-parents,” Anderson declared, indicating that he and Benjamin would raise tiny Sebastian. We are a household. Already, Benjamin was formally adopting their first child, whom they name “papa.”
The television personality was dubbed “daddy” by the older boy. Wyatt’s last name will be altered to “Maisani-Cooper,” like Sebastian’s, after the adoption is finalized.
During an interview in September 2023, the The well-known broadcaster, 56, said, “This is the best time in my life,” as he talked happily about becoming a father. There’s no denying that.
Beginning their romance in 2009, Anderson and Benjamin came forward with their relationship in 2015, and in 2018, they announced their breakup. Despite never having dated, the pair had such a strong bond that the celebrity disclosed:
“Even though Wyatt and I are no longer together, Maisani will continue to be his co-parent. I want him to be Wyatt’s family because he is mine.
Anderson was up about the peculiar co-parenting arrangement he and his former partner had in September 2021. He acknowledged that Wyatt and them found success with it, saying:
Although it may seem like a strange setting, I knew he would make a fantastic father, and he does. Even though we are no longer together, we still love each other as coparents and as family.
The author once expressed his frustration at having missed Wyatt’s first steps and often updates readers about his older kid. Benjamin, who doesn’t post much, did, however, once claim that his ex changed after Wyatt was born. Anderson clarified their co-parenting arrangement by saying:
“In terms of an intimate relationship, I’ve always felt that if you love somebody, there’s no reason why that love shouldn’t continue if you’ve been with them and that ends.”
Anderson acknowledged to presenter Ellen DeGeneres in February 2021 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” that he and Benjamin had previously had different goals in mind for starting a family. The celebrity clarified:
It’s odd because, although we probably split up because he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted a child, he eventually warmed around to the idea. He is such a wonderful parent now.
Inside Anderson’s Firehouse, His Children’s Home
People were given a tour of the house that Anderson transformed from a fire station on June 9, 2020. The main color of Wyatt’s nursery, blue, was used throughout the room to give viewers an idea of what it looked like.
Some of the images hadn’t been hung up yet, and the nursery was still under construction. Wyatt was named after the late actor’s father, who was depicted in a picture by Anderson’s late mother Gloria Vanderbilt.
Anderson’s handprint from a previous photo was visible. A paper mache cupid was hanging over the baby’s white cot, and the blue wallpaper featured a beetle motif. In one area of the room, numerous stuffed animals that had once belonged to the devoted dad were scattered around.
Anderson clarified his desire to Every object in his son’s room has a unique tale and importance. The room was expanded with a changing space and a photo of Benjamin and his sister as children.
In September 2010, Anderson paid $4.3 million for the 8,240-square-foot Greenwich Village, New York firehouse. It had spiral staircases, old brass fire poles, dry hoses, and murals on the walls that highlighted the history of the fire station.
In Anderson Cooper’s house in 2015, David Beckham and Kevin Hart filmed a campaign for H&M.
During his three days with The Hollywood Reporter in September 2018, the “60 Minutes” correspondent gave The Hollywood Reporter an indirect tour of his home. The singer had broken up with Benjamin earlier that year, and he lived with Lilly, his Welsh springer spaniel.
The kitchen of the house has an island. After years of restoration work, Anderson added an elevator and furnished the second story with a taxidermy room, Old Master paintings, and hand-painted murals.
indications he picked up while traveling to Africa and Cuba.
He discovered a Victorian calendar on a side table in his mother’s bedroom, and he displayed it in his living room. The date on it is July 22, 1988, the day his brother Carter Cooper, then 23 years old, committed suicide in his mother’s apartment. After her son passed away, Gloria moved several times and brought the calendar with her. Anderson once said that even though he had sold her apartment after her death, he was holding on to everything.
The star’s personal belongings are also on display in the house, including his great-great-grandfather’s commissioning notice from the Civil War. An image of Anderson when he was younger taken in Afghanistan by his late friend Tim Hetherington.
One more thing that Memento Mori, an Italian marble from the eighteenth century, was the focal point of his house. Architect Cary Tamarkin refurbished the 1906 firehouse with interiors reminiscent of the Beaux-Arts structure of the 20th century.
Anderson’s home served as the location for David Beckham and Kevin Hart’s 2015 H&M ad. Fans were able to see the stunning living room, gym, roof terrace, and one of Anderson’s bedrooms in the advertisement.
Apart from his brother, Anderson also lost his mother in 2019 at the age of 95, and his father passed away in 1978 due to a heart attack. He finally made the decision to address the grieving process head-on on his podcast, “All There Is With Anderson Cooper,” after avoiding it for many years. Actress Molly Shannon was interviewed, and she shared personal details of her own sorrow. About his podcast, Anderson remarked, “It has definitely made me feel less lonely.”
