Anderson Cooper and his former partner, Benjamin Maisani, are collaboratively raising two children who reside with the journalist. Cooper, along with his kids, resides in a home converted from a fire station.
On February 10, 2022, Anderson Cooper revealed the birth of his second child during the “Anderson Cooper 360” show. The CNN anchor shares this child with his longtime ex-partner and close friend, Benjamin Maisani.
The pair also parents their first son, born two years prior. Benjamin, a businessman who opened the “Eastern Bloc” bar, has cultivated relationships with celebrities at his establishment.
While it remains unclear if Anderson frequented the bar, his friend Andy Cohen was reportedly a regular customer. Benjamin and Anderson, who were together for an extended period, welcomed their second child in 2022. When introducing his new son, Anderson named him Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper and shared:
“This is Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper. He was 6.8 pounds at birth, and he’s healthy and happy, even his occasional hiccups are to me adorable. He mostly just sleeps, and eats and poops, but he already seems like a wise and thoughtful little champ.”
The co-parent expressed gratitude to the healthcare professionals and the surrogate who assisted in bringing the child into the world. Anderson also acknowledged the surrogate’s family for their sacrifices and the love bestowed upon Sebastian during the past year. This wasn’t the first time Anderson announced his children’s births on air.
Upon the arrival of his first son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, Anderson shared the news on CNN. During an interview on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” on February 25, 2022, Anderson updated viewers on Wyatt’s relationship with Sebastian, stating:
“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 a three-week paternity leave to spend time with his newborn son. Before the break, he spoke with Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa, expressing his enjoyment of bonding with his boys:
“It’s great to be able to come home and decompress.”
The proud father disclosed his nightly routine of feeding Wyatt and putting him to sleep on his chest, describing it as an incomparable joy. The mornings involve a routine visit to the diner, where Wyatt and Sebastian enjoy swimming. Anderson takes pleasure in preparing his sons for their afternoon nap by reading to them until they peacefully fall asleep in his arms.
Despite being a busy news anchor, Anderson ensures quality time with his children. He revealed that Wyatt and Sebastian engage well with each other, even playing with some of their father’s old toys. Anderson expressed his amazement at witnessing the incredible relationship between his sons.
Benjamin, a property and nightclub owner, embraced co-parenting responsibilities with Anderson upon Wyatt’s birth. Anderson emphasized that they would co-parent even though they were no longer a couple, stating, “We’re a family.”
In an interview, Anderson described their co-parenting dynamic as effortless. Benjamin takes care of the children when Anderson works at night, and together, they start their day just before the boys wake up. According to Anderson, Benjamin communicates with their sons in French.
Anderson clarified that they are co-parenting Sebastian, asserting, “We’re co-parents. We’re a family.” Benjamin was in the process of legally adopting their first child, who affectionately calls him “papa.”
During a September 2023 interview, the 56-year-old renowned broadcaster expressed his joy at fatherhood, declaring it the best time in his life.
Anderson’s Relationship & Co-parenting with Benjamin Maisani Anderson and Benjamin commenced their relationship in 2009, went public in 2015, and announced their separation in 2018. Despite the breakup, Anderson emphasized their strong bond, stating:
“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.”
In September 2021, Anderson discussed their unique co-parenting arrangement, acknowledging its unconventional nature. He acknowledged that it might be unusual but highlighted its success, noting:
“It’s probably an unusual setup, but I knew he would be a great dad, and he is. We’re exes, but we’re family to each other, and we love each other as family and as co-parents.”
While Anderson frequently shares updates on his older son, Benjamin is less active on social media. However, he once remarked that Anderson’s perspective on parenting changed when Wyatt was born, and Anderson elaborated on their co-parenting dynamics, asserting:
“I’ve always believed that if you’ve been with somebody and that ends, in terms of an intimate relationship, if you love somebody, there’s no reason why that love shouldn’t continue.”
In a February 2021 interview on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Anderson disclosed that he and Benjamin initially had different views on starting a family. Anderson explained:
“It’s interesting because he wasn’t really sure he wanted to have a kid — which is one of the reasons we probably broke up — but then he came around to the idea. Now he is such a great parent.”
Inside Anderson’s Firehouse, Where He Lives with His Kids On June 9, 2020, Anderson provided People with a tour of his home converted from a fire station. The tour showcased Wyatt’s nursery, predominantly themed in blue throughout the space.
The nursery was a work in progress, with some photos yet to be hung. A painting by Anderson’s late mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, featuring herself and Anderson’s late father, for whom Wyatt was named, adorned one side of the room.
In September 2010, Anderson acquired the Greenwich Village firehouse in New York, spanning 8,240 square feet, for $4.3 million. The firehouse retained its original features, including brass fire poles, dry hoses, spiral staircases, and murals on the walls depicting the station’s history.
In 2015, David Beckham and Kevin Hart chose Anderson’s residence as the backdrop for an H&M campaign. In September 2018, during a three-day interaction with The Hollywood Reporter, the “60 Minutes” correspondent indirectly showcased his house. Living with his Welsh springer spaniel, Lilly, Anderson had separated from Benjamin earlier that year.
Over the years, Anderson dedicated efforts to restore and enhance the firehouse, even adding an elevator. The second floor boasts a salon adorned with taxidermy, Old Master paintings, and hand-painted signs collected from trips to Cuba and Africa.
The West Village dwelling features a kitchen island, and the living room showcases a side table adorned with a Victorian calendar discovered in his mother’s bedroom. The calendar bears the date July 22, 1988, marking the day Anderson’s brother, Carter Cooper, tragically died by suicide at the age of 23 in their mother’s apartment.
Following Carter’s death, Gloria relocated multiple times, preserving the calendar. Anderson chose not to part with everything after his mother’s passing and the subsequent disposal of her apartment.
Personal artifacts, including his great-great-grandfather’s Civil War commissioning notice, are displayed in the home. A photograph by his late friend, Tim Hetherington, captures a younger Anderson in Afghanistan.
One distinctive item in the residence is an 18th-century Italian marble Memento Mori. Renovated by architect Cary Tamarkin, the firehouse, constructed in 1906, preserves the interiors of the 20th-century Beaux-Arts building.
In 2015, Anderson’s home served as the setting for an H&M campaign featuring David Beckham and Kevin Hart. The advertisement provided fans a glimpse into Anderson’s exquisite residence, showcasing the living room, gym, roof terrace, and one of the bedrooms.
In 2019, Anderson lost his mother at the age of 95. Long before her passing, he had experienced the loss of his brother, a decade after their father’s death from a heart attack in 1978. After avoiding the grieving process for many years, Anderson confronted it on his podcast, “All There Is With Anderson Cooper,” where he interviewed actress Molly Shannon, bringing solace and a sense of shared experience.
