Rekindling the old flame. Anderson Cooper got back together with ex-boyfriend Benjamin Maisani before welcoming his son, multiple sources exclusively reveal to Us Weekly.
“Anderson has reconciled with Ben,” an insider says of the 52-year-old CNN anchor. “They very quietly got back together and are planning ahead. Ben is selling one of his clubs and cutting back on how much he does at night so he can spend more time at home with Anderson and the baby.”
Cooper revealed on Thursday, April 30, that his first child, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, was born via surrogate three days earlier. During the emotional CNN Town Hall segment, the journalist marveled at the possibility of becoming a father as a gay man.
“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,” Cooper explained. “It is an extraordinary blessing.”
Cooper publicly came out as gay in July 2012, noting that he “couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself and proud.” Three years earlier, he was linked to Maisani, 47, after the pair were spotted out together multiple times in New York City. The couple dated for nine years before Cooper confirmed their split in March 2018.
“Benjamin and I separated as boyfriends some time ago. We are still family to each other, and love each other very much,” he said in a statement at the time. “We remain the best of friends, and will continue to share much of our lives together.”
While the couple was making big plans for their future together as fathers, the longtime news anchor kept his happy news relatively private before his big announcement on TV.
“Very, very few people knew,” the source says. “He didn’t tell his team at CNN until just before the show. … Only a select few of his closest A-list pals — including Kelly Ripa and Andy Cohen — were sworn to secrecy.”
View this post on Instagram
I want to share with you some joyful news. On Monday, I became a father. This is Wyatt Cooper. He is three days old. He is named after my father, who died when I was ten. I hope I can be as good a dad as he was. My son’s middle name is Morgan. It’s a family name on my mom’s side. I know my mom and dad liked the name morgan because I recently found a list they made 52 years ago when they were trying to think of names for me. Wyatt Morgan Cooper. My son. He was 7.2 lbs at birth, and he is sweet, and soft, and healthy and I am beyond happy. 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. Most of all, I am grateful to a remarkable surrogate who carried Wyatt, and watched over him lovingly, and tenderly, and gave birth to him. It is an extraordinary blessing – what she, and all surrogates give to families who cant have children. My surrogate has a beautiful family of her own, a wonderfully supportive husband, and kids, and I am incredibly thankful for all the support they have given Wyatt and me. My family is blessed to have this family in our lives I do wish my mom and dad and my brother, Carter, were alive to meet Wyatt, but I like to believe they can see him. I imagine them all together, arms around each other, smiling and laughing, happy to know that their love is alive in me and in Wyatt, and that our family continues.
When discussing the birth of his son, Cooper acknowledged that the little one’s name had a number of special meanings and ties to both sides of his family.
“Little Wyatt is named for his grandfather who was from Mississippi and whose sister lived in the small town named Forest,” the source adds. “She and her husband had an antique shop on their chicken farm and sold eggs to the local community. As soon as he’s old enough, Anderson will take his son on a trip to Mississippi to find his roots.”
Listen on Spotify to Us Weekly’s Hot Hollywood as each week the editors of Us break down the hottest entertainment news stories!