Growing up as a gay child, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper thought he would never be able to have his own children

Nearing sixty, Anderson Cooper had already ended his relationship with Benjamin Maisani, his longtime partner, when he became a father. The two ex-couples did, however, reunite, but not in a romantic setting.

It took years before Anderson Cooper and Benjamin Maisani’s relationship was made public because they were so secretive about it. The couple’s dating history dates back to 2009.

The pair was revealed to be residing together at Anderson’s firehouse home by Daily Mail in March 2018. He later made renovations to the $4 million Manhattan, Greenwich Village home he purchased.

Anderson Cooper on an episode of "Watch What Happens Live" on November 30, 2016. | Source: Getty Images

It wasn’t until May 2015 that Anderson and Benjamin disclosed their relationship. The CNN news presenter posted a picture of him and Benjamin on Instagram at the time, writing:

“I suppose you start to pose the same when you’re with someone for a long time.”

Following that, Anderson began to share more details about his connection. So much so that he and his boyfriend co-starred in an Architectural Digest edition in August of 2016.

The couple was displaying their remote co-owned house in a region of Brazil at the time. Benjamin discussed the attention his relationship with Anderson was receiving in 2014 when he spoke with French Morning.

Anderson Cooper and Benjamin Maisani at the Windward School Benefit on March 10, 2018, in New York City. | Source: Getty Images

In March 2018, after a decade of dating, Anderson’s spokesperson confirmed that the journalist and Benjamin had separated. According to reports, the CNN anchor explained the split by saying:

“Benjamin and I separated as boyfriends some time ago. We are still family to each other, and love each other very much.”

Anderson explained that he and his ex-boyfriend remained best friends and would continue sharing their lives. During an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, the television personality revealed one of the reasons that caused them to break up.

He shared how Benjamin wasn’t sure he wanted to have children. However, Anderson didn’t wait to have another partner before working on his dream of becoming a father and fulfilling it at age 53.

In 2020, when reaching the end of his segment on CNN, Anderson revealed that his first child and son, Wyatt Morgan, had been born. He also opened up about why the milestone was especially significant for him, stating:

“As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child.”

The star shared his gratitude for the people who paved the way for him to realize his dream. He also shared his appreciation of the nurses and doctors who took part in helping welcome his son.

Following ten years of dating, Anderson’s representative said that the journalist and Benjamin had split up in March 2018. The CNN host reportedly stated the following to explain the split:

“A while back, Benjamin and I called it quits on our relationship. We still love and care for one another as if we were family.

Anderson clarified that he would continue to share their lives and that he and his ex-boyfriend were close friends. One of the reasons behind their breakup was disclosed by the television personality in an interview with Ellen DeGeneres.

He revealed that Benjamin wasn’t certain he wanted to start a family. But Anderson didn’t wait to find a new partner to work toward and realize his 53-year-old dream of becoming a father.

At the conclusion of his CNN segment in 2020, Anderson disclosed the birth of Wyatt Morgan, his first kid. He also revealed the reason the achievement held particular significance for him, saying:

“As a gay child, I never imagined that having a child would be possible.”

The celebrity expressed his appreciation to everyone who helped him achieve his dream. He also expressed his gratitude to the medical professionals that assisted in the birth of his son.

In addition, the TV celebrity shared four photos of his infant son on Instagram. The first picture shows him tenderly nursing Wyatt. He disclosed that the boy was just three days old in the caption of the photo.

He gave an explanation of how the child’s first name matched that of his own father, who died when he was only 10 years old. The second name belonged to his mother’s side of the family, Gloria Vanderbilt, and was also favored by his parents.

Anderson claimed at the time that he had discovered a list his parents had created 52 years prior while choosing his name. At birth, Wyatt reportedly weighed 7.2 pounds and was hailed as “sweet, soft, and healthy.”

The journalist also expressed gratitude to the surrogate mother for bearing him, providing him with a loving and sensitive watch, and giving birth to the boy. He also expressed gratitude to the surrogate’s family for their help both before and after the procedure.

In closing, Anderson expressed his hope that his brother Carter, mother, and father could have seen his son grow up. But he made the decision to think they could see his child, and he saw them cuddling up to each other while grinning and laughing.

He was content that their family line will live on and that their love was still present in both Wyatt and him. Anderson learned in August 2020 that Wyatt was sleeping on an unusual schedule for a youngster who was just about four months old at the time.

The newborn was getting twelve hours of sleep every night! The CNN anchor clarified that he was receiving help from a nurse and made a joke about not knowing what she did—but she didn’t use booze or Ambien—to put the youngster to sleep so much!

Anderson had one requirement, despite having help from someone else in caring for the child. The celebrity declared that he opposed having a single parent raise his child.

In May 2020, Anderson gave an explanation for his decision to not raise his child by himself on “The Howard Stern Show.” The celebrity talked about how his mother raised him and his brother as a single parent after losing his father and how she wasn’t very paternal.

He wished there had been another adult in his life to cover that absence. Someone who occasionally offered to take him out to lunch or a ball game, or who suggested having a conversation with him; the journalist added:

“Therefore, I reasoned that I would be in favor of more people loving my son and being in his life, even if nothing bad happened to me.”

He mentioned how, if it were possible, he would want to have two parents. Ironically, because of their good relationship, he and Benjamin continued to live together in their house after their breakup.

Anderson said that things were “weird” between him and the nightclub owner. Despite his early reluctance, Benjamin eventually changed his mind and is today a wonderful co-parent to young Wyatt.

The former couple resided in the Greenwich Village firehouse that Anderson purchased and remodeled in 2009. According to the celebrity, Wyatt would likely refer to Benjamin as “Papa” whereas he would be called “Dad” or “Daddy” because he was French.

Anderson quipped that the businessman was speaking to the young child in his own tongue and that he might be manipulating Wyatt by not understanding what he was saying! But the journalist denied that the ex-couple might reconcile when asked if it would be possible.

In August 2020, Anderson talked to WSJ magazine about how becoming a father had made him realize how much life had changed. Despite being 53 at the time, he talked about how he felt like he was waiting for his real life to start.

The actor claimed that he had been concentrating on moving forward or telling a tale, but that concentrating on Wyatt brought order to the situation. The anchor for the news said, “It’s changed everything.”

Due to his night shift employment, Anderson used to wake up late as well, but after Wyatt’s arrival, he now wakes up at seven in the morning. Since his son’s awakening marked the highest point of his day, it was his objective to rise before him.

Benjamin [Maisani] and the infant [Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper], who weighed 6.8 lbs. at birth, would also share co-parenting duties.
When the young boy saw him, he delighted to see him stretch and smile. From the third floor, Anderson went to his son’s room on the fourth, where he waited for him to make noises to let the star know he was awake before entering to see how he was doing.

The TV celebrity stated to People magazine in June 2020 that he would be willing to grow his family in the future. But first, he needed time to get a better night’s sleep and clear his thoughts!

It would be wonderful, he thought, to have a brother or sister for Wyatt. Then, on “Anderson Cooper 360°,” in February 2022, Anderson revealed that he had welcomed Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper, his second son, via surrogacy!

Benjamin and the infant, who weighed 6.8 pounds at birth, would also share co-parenting duties. The celebrity also disclosed at that time that Wyatt’s last name would be changed to Maisani-Cooper and that his former partner was in the process of adopting the child.

But in December 2020, following Wyatt’s birth, Anderson acknowledged that he was “tired more than I’ve ever been.” He did, however, adore being a father and “wouldn’t change it for the world,” and he frequently broke down in tears when he saw his kid.

If you see a man with one painted fingernail, here’s what it means

Elliot Costello’s life was drastically altered in a way he never would have imagined in 2013 after traveling to an orphanage in Cambodia.

He was unaware, though, that a meeting would occur that would alter thousands of other people’s lives as well.

It all began in 2013 when Australian social entrepreneur Elliot Costello got to know a young child named Thea.

The 10-year-old girl, Thea, had been saved from a horrible situation, but regrettably, she had wound up in an orphanage. She had been sexually and physically abused for two years, and the torture had a lasting effect. Regretfully, if Elliot hadn’t existed, we might never have learned about this courageous young girl.

However, let’s start at the beginning.

Thea’s life was happy once she was born. The Cambodian girl was loved and cared for by her mother, father, and other family members just like any other child. Unfortunately, fate had other ideas for her. Her father unexpectedly passed away one day, and his loss was tragic in many ways. Not only had it been a painful and emotional experience, but Thea’s father had been the only provider for the family. The family was left in dire straits after his death.

When things became so awful for Thea, her mother had to make the painful choice to place her daughter in an orphanage since she was no longer able to care for her. Sadly, the little girl would end up spending a miserable life there.

The director of the orphanage allegedly sexually and physically abused Thea every day for two years, according to Polished Man.

Thea was eventually moved to another Hagar International-run orphanage in Phnom Penh. Australian social entrepreneur Elliot Costello became close to the boy during a visit there by playing games of naughts and crosses. The 10-year-old child, in spite of everything she had experienced, exuded happiness and optimism.

Thea used to constantly have nail polish on her tiny nails, so one day she wanted to paint Elliot’s. They had a great time together as they sat and chatted.

“I promised her that I would always remember her and her suffering,” Elliot remarked as she painted one of his nails

Elliot was inspired to try and modify men’s behavior after meeting with Thea in order to reduce the number of children who experience sexual abuse. In order to demonstrate support, he also came up with the idea to launch a trend where males paint their nails.

Another symbolic interpretation of painting one nail is that it stands for the one in five children who may experience sexual abuse. It is immediately clear from looking at the numbers that we must put in a lot of effort to solve this problem.

Nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults involve minors who are 17 years of age or younger, according to the YMCA. Unbelievably, one in six boys and one in four girls will experience sexual abuse before they become 18 years old.

Elliot believes that since men account for over 90% of this kind of abuse against children, they should be the ones to drive change. In light of this, a large number of international superstars have joined the nail painting craze.

Polished Man is still working to provide a better, safer environment for children today. Their principal goal is to stop child sexual abuse. “Being a Polished Man means challenging violent behavior and language, both locally and globally,” the organization states.

Chris Hemsworth is one well-known person who has taken a strong stance; he posed for the organization with a painted nail.

It takes more than just remembering to purchase flowers, shouting rounds, or lifting a lot to be a @PolishedMan. Saying no to violence against children is the main goal, according to Hemsworth.

Famous surfers Kelly Slater and Zac Efron also participated in the social media challenge, and maybe more people will openly speak out against child abuse.

Although the campaign began quietly a few years prior, by 2014 it had drawn the interest of numerous prominent media outlets.

The organization has persevered in its hard work and has now existed for a decade. Polished Man claims that $8.7 million has been raised to fund trauma prevention and recovery initiatives for women and children who have experienced or are at danger of experiencing violence in Australia and other countries.

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