Anderson Cooper and his ex-boyfriend, Benjamin Maisani, are co-parenting two children who live with the journalist. The trio lives in a fire station that he converted to accommodate the offspring.
On February 10, 2022, Anderson Cooper announced the birth of his second child on the “Anderson Cooper 360” program. The CNN anchor shares the boy with his former longtime partner and best friend, Benjamin Maisani.
Benjamin is a businessman who decided to open his bar, “Eastern Bloc,” after working at one. He built relationships with celebrities at his establishment, and one of these people was Anderson.
The journalist used to frequent the bar, and that’s probably where the pair fell in love. According to Wealthy Persons, Benjamin’s net worth was estimated at around eight million dollars; in his announcement about his new son, Anderson introduced him by stating:
“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.”
The co-parent also took the time to thank the nurses and doctors who helped bring the little boy into the world. Anderson also showed gratitude to the surrogate who carried his second son.
He thanked the woman and her family for the sacrifices they made and the love they gave Sebastian over the past year. It wasn’t the first time the television personality announced the birth of his children on-air.
In April 2020, he took a moment on CNN to reveal the birth of his first son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper. On February 25, 2022, Anderson was interviewed on “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” where he updated viewers about how Wyatt was bonding with Sebastian, saying:
“They seem to be getting along really well. I mean, ‘Getting along well’ — Sebastian sleeps. He can’t say Sebastian yet, he calls him Luke. So every morning he wants to go say ‘Good morning, Luke.’”
After Sebastian’s birth, Anderson took three weeks off to be with his newborn son by taking paternity leave. Speaking with Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa before taking the break, he shared how he was enjoying the time with his boys, noting:
“It’s great to be able to come home and decompress.”
The father of two also revealed the nightly bonding routine he had with Wyatt saying, “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.”
Anderson and the boys also have a morning routine. They go to the diner every morning, and Wyatt and Sebastian love to take a swim. The proud parent enjoys preparing his sons for their afternoon nap by sitting and reading to them until they fall asleep in his arms.
Wyatt and Sebastian also play well together and even use some of their famous dad’s old toys — that he used to play with his brother. Anderson said seeing her sons’ relationship with each other is “incredible” to witness.
Benjamin, a property and nightclub owner, started co-parenting with Anderson when Wyatt was born. The news anchor explained that he would co-parent with his ex even though they weren’t dating anymore, adding, “We’re a family.”
He revealed in an interview that their co-parenting relationship is effortless. When he goes to work at night, Benjamin takes over by looking after the kids. They both wake up right before the boys do, and get them their milk, then spend the first few hours of the day with them. According to Anderson, Benjamin speaks French with their sons.
Anderson made it clear that little Sebastian would be brought up by him and Benjamin, saying, “We’re co-parents. We’re a family.” Benjamin was already legally adopting their first child, who calls him “papa.”
The older boy gave the television personality the title of “daddy.” When the adoption is finalized, Wyatt’s last name will be changed to incorporate both parents,’ Maisani-Cooper, like Sebastian’s.
In a September 2023 interview, the 56-year-old famed broadcaster gushed about being a father, saying, “This is the best time in my life. There is no doubt about it.”
Anderson’s Relationship & Co-parenting with Benjamin Maisani
Anderson and Benjamin started seeing each other in 2009, went public with the relationship in 2015, and revealed they’d broken up in 2018. The couple might not be in a relationship before, but they were so well bonded that the star revealed:
“Maisani is going to be a co-parent to Wyatt even though we’re not together anymore. He’s my family, and I want him to be Wyatt’s family as well.”
