Benjamin Maisani, Anderson Cooper’s ex-partner, and their two children live with the journalist and are being raised together. Cooper lives with his kids in a house that used to be a fire station.
On his “Anderson Cooper 360” show on February 10, 2022, Anderson Cooper talked about the birth of his second child. The CNN host shares this child with Benjamin Maisani, who used to be his partner and is now a close friend.
In addition, they are parents to their first son, who was born two years ago. Benjamin, a businessman who opened the “Eastern Bloc” bar, has made friends with famous people through the bar.
Even though it’s still not clear if Anderson went to the bar often, his friend Andy Cohen was said to be a regular. Anderson and Benjamin had been together for a long time before they had their second child in 2022. Anderson told everyone about his new son Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper and said:
Hey, my name is Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper. His birth weight was 6.8 pounds, and he’s healthy and happy. I even think his hiccups are cute. His only activities are sleeping, eating, and going to the bathroom. But he already seems like a smart and caring little guy.
This child’s co-parent thanked the medical staff and the proxy who helped bring the child into the world. Anderson also thanked Sebastian’s substitute family for all they had done and how much love they had shown him over the past year. Anderson has already talked about the births of his children on radio before.
When Anderson’s first boy, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, was born, he told CNN about it. Anderson gave viewers an update on Wyatt’s friendship with Sebastian during an appearance on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” on February 25, 2022.
“They seem to understand each other very well.” What I meant was “getting along well.” Sebastian is sleeping. Instead of Sebastian, he calls him Luke for now. In the morning, he wants to go say, “Good morning, Luke.””
Anderson took three weeks off from work to spend time with his new son Sebastian after he was born. He talked to Ryan Seacrest and Kelly Ripa before the break and said that he loved spending time with his boys:
“Coming home to relax is great.”
The happy dad said that every night he feeds Wyatt and puts him to sleep on his chest, saying that it was the best thing in the world. Every morning, Wyatt and Sebastian go to the diner to swim, which is a regular thing they do. While his boys are getting ready for their afternoon nap, Anderson enjoys reading to them until they fall asleep in his arms.
Even though Anderson is a busy news reporter, he makes time to spend with his kids. He said Wyatt and Sebastian get along well and even play with some old toys that belonged to their dad. Anderson said that he was amazed by how well his sons got along with each other.
When Wyatt was born, Benjamin, who owns properties and a bar, agreed to be a co-parent with Anderson. Even though they weren’t together anymore, Anderson made it clear that they would co-parent: “We’re a family.”
In an interview, Anderson said that being co-parents with her husband was easy. Anderson works late at night, so Benjamin takes care of the kids. He and Anderson start their day together before the boys wake up. Anderson says that Benjamin speaks French with their boys.
Anderson said, “We’re co-parents,” which made it clear that they are both responsible for Sebastian. We live as a family.” Benjamin was getting the paperwork done to adopt their first child, who loves him and calls him “papa.”
The famous 56-year-old journalist talked about how happy he was to be a dad in an interview in September 2023, calling it the best time of his life.
Benjamin Maisani and Anderson’s relationship and co-parenting Anderson and Benjamin started dating in 2009, told everyone about it in 2015, and announced they were splitting up in 2018. Anderson underlined their close relationship even though they broke up, saying:
“Maisani will help raise Wyatt even though we’re no longer together. It’s my family, and I want Wyatt to have it too.
Anderson talked about their unusual co-parenting situation in September 2021, pointing out how unusual it was. He admitted that it might be odd, but he emphasized how well it worked by saying:
I know he will be a great dad, and he is. It’s probably an odd arrangement. We’re ex-spouses, but we love each other like family and co-parents.
Anderson often posts updates about his older son on social media, but Benjamin isn’t as involved. He did say, though, that Anderson’s view on parenting changed after Wyatt was born, and Anderson went into more detail about how they co-parented, saying:
“If you love someone and an intimate relationship ends, I’ve always thought that love should continue.”
Anderson said that he and Benjamin had different ideas about having a family at first in an interview on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in February 2021. Anderson made it clear:
“I find it interesting that he wasn’t sure he wanted a child at first, which is likely one of the reasons we broke up, but he changed his mind.” His parenting has really improved.
Within Anderson’s Firehouse, where he resides with his children Anderson gave People a tour of his home, which used to be a fire station, on June 9, 2020. The tour showed off Wyatt’s bedroom, which was mostly decorated in blue.
The room wasn’t finished yet; some pictures still needed to be put up. One wall of the room had a picture by Anderson’s late mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, of herself and her late father, for whom Wyatt was named.
Anderson bought the 8,240-square-foot Greenwich Village firehouse in New York in September 2010 for $4.3 million. Brass fire poles, dry hoses, spiral staircases, and murals on the walls that show the station’s past were kept from the original building.
Anderson’s house was the setting for an H&M ad in 2015 by David Beckham and Kevin Hart. In September 2018, the “60 Minutes” reporter talked to The Hollywood Reporter for three days and in a roundabout way showed off his house. Anderson had broken up with Benjamin earlier that year and was now living with his Welsh springer spaniel, Lilly.
Throughout the years, Anderson worked hard to fix up and improve the firehouse, even adding a lift. Taxidermy, Old Master paintings, and hand-painted signs from trips to Cuba and Africa can be found in the lounge on the second floor.
The home in the West Village has a kitchen counter and a side table in the living room with a Victorian calendar that he found in his mother’s bedroom. The calendar shows that Anderson’s brother Carter Cooper killed himself in their mother’s apartment on July 22, 1988. He was 23 years old.
After Carter’s death, Gloria moved several times while keeping the calendar. Anderson decided not to get rid of anything after his mother died and her flat was sold.
In the house are personal items like the commissioning letter from his great-great-grandfather’s time in the Civil War. Anderson was younger when he was in Afghanistan, as shown in a picture by his late friend Tim Hetherington.
An Italian marble Memento Mori from the 18th century is one of the house’s unique features. The firehouse, which was built in 1906 and was renovated by architect Cary Tamarkin, keeps the interior of the Beaux-Arts building from the 20th century.
Anderson’s house was the setting for an H&M ad with David Beckham and Kevin Hart in 2015. Fans got a look at Anderson’s fancy home through the ad, which showed the living room, gym, roof terrace, and one of the bedrooms.
His mother passed away in 2019 at the age of 95. He had lost his brother a long time before she did, ten years after their father died of a heart attack in 1978. Anderson avoided grieving for many years, but on his show, “All There Is With Anderson Cooper,” where he talked to actress Molly Shannon about it, he faced it head-on. It brought him comfort and a sense of having been through the same thing.