Anderson Cooper is notoriously known to be extremely private, keeping his personal life close to the vest. While he announced that he had become the father to Wyatt Cooper Anderson last month, Cooper has been somewhat quiet on his newfound parenthood (save for publicly reconnecting with ex-partner/now co-parent Benjamin Maisani, who will be raising Wyatt with him). This week, Cooper finally sat down with People for an extended chat on the journey that brought him to parenthood, and what the road has been like so far.
“When I was 12 years old and knew I was gay and thought about my life, it always upset me because I thought ‘I will never be able to have a kid'” he confessed to People, for their first ever Pride Issue. “This is a dream come true”. Cooper went on to say “It feels like my life has actually begun,” Cooper continues. “And I sort of wonder, what was I waiting for? This is a new level of love. It’s unlike anything I’ve experienced, and yet it’s also very familiar and incredibly special and intimate. It’s really extraordinary.”
Cooper gave People an exclusive look at how emotionally, the famously buttoned up journalist has been able to let his guard down. “I cry at things I never cried at before,” he admits. “And Benjamin, I’ve never seen him cry, but I couldn’t believe how weepy he gets with Wyatt. I find myself being overwhelmed with emotion, and it’s a lovely thing.” He also provided an up close and personal look at Wyatt’s stunning nursery, which included art from his famed grandmother, Gloria Vanderbilt.
Cooper says he is also filled with gratitude for “all the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people who struggled for generations and have died never thinking this was a possibility.”
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