Anderson Cooper opens up about the joys of co-parenting with his ex

Anderson Cooper is opening up about the joys of co-parenting his two young sons with his ex.

The CNN anchor is on the cover of the latest issue of People magazine along with sons Wyatt, 3, and Sebastian Luke, 19 months, and in the accompanying profile, he says that raising the boys with former partner Benjamin Maisani has brought him “moments of such bliss, humor and gentleness and sheer delight that it stuns me.”

Related:

Anderson Cooper scolds CNN’s critics over Trump town hall for not leaving their “silo”

Cooper justified CNN’s decision to give Trump a huge platform by saying the network’s critics just can’t handle hearing new ideas.

Cooper, who recently marked the 20th anniversary of his CNN show, Anderson Cooper 360, welcomed Wyatt in 2020. “As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child, and I’m grateful for all those who have paved the way, and for the doctors and nurses and everyone involved in my son’s birth,” he wrote in an April 2020 Instagram post, going on to thank the surrogate who carried Wyatt.

Never Miss a Beat

Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.

Daily

Weekly

Good News

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Anderson Cooper (@andersoncooper)

The following May, during an appearance on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Cooper told the host that he and Maisani would co-parent Wyatt together. Cooper and the New York nightclub owner had been in a relationship until 2018, but they remained close.

“He’s my family, and I want him to be Wyatt’s family as well,” the Astor author told Colbert.

Cooper announced the birth of his second son, Sebastian, on his show in February 2022, as well as revealing that Maisani was then in the process of adopting Wyatt, whose last name would be changed to Maisani-Cooper.

In the latest edition of People, Cooper described the family’s routine while staying at their home in New England. “We have the diner we go to every morning — they like the folks who run the diner very much. And they love to swim,” he said of his sons. “I love getting them ready for their afternoon nap and sitting with them and reading and then having them fall asleep in my arms. There’s nothing better.”

Cooper also spoke about how he and Maisani, who he has described as his “best friend,” divide parenting duties. “I work nights, and so he’s there at night. And we both wake up right before they wake up, get them their milk and spend the first couple of hours of the day just us with them,” he said. “And Benjamin speaks French to them. I have no idea what they’re saying. I think they’re plotting against me.”