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.

13 Simple Tips of How to Spot Poor Quality Shoes Right On

Ideally, a new pair of shoes should be comfortable and fashionable. However, you may find a lot of options in footwear shops that meet these 2 criteria, but at the same time their quality is so bad that they won’t last long. We decided to find out what things you should pay attention to in order to choose a really high-quality pair.

Check the shoes for smudges and glue marks.

Manufacturers often use glue to stick together different parts of the shoe. If the glue is of high quality and the work is done properly, the pair will last a long time. However, small glue drips in the spots where parts meet or traces of glue on the surface indicate that you are looking at low-quality shoes and that there were issues during production.

When a part of the shoe, its sole or insole, comes off a bit, it means the shoemaker probably used bad or expired glue, and this pair will fall apart quickly.

Examine whether the pair is symmetrical.

Quality shoes in a pair should be symmetrical, and any differences between the right and left shoes most likely indicate a defect. To check this, you need to put the soles of both shoes together and see if they match in length and width.

It’s also worth putting the pair on the floor to understand whether the height and outline of the upper edge of the heel are symmetrical. If the soles are painted in different colors, check whether the paint is within the borders of the sole and whether the pattern matches. Gross irregularities in symmetry indicate that the manufacturer didn’t pay much attention to quality.

Check the seams carefully.

Any uneven or diverging seams make shoes look not that good. This happens if the manufacturer used too thin threads or the work was done poorly. As a result, such a pair will fall apart much faster. It’s also necessary to check the uniformity of stitches and the evenness of the seam itself.

If its line is curved or zigzag-looking, this means that the shoes you’re looking at are of poor quality and will lose their appearance in a couple of months. And zigzag-looking stitch is often used to hide the imperfections of the stitching.

Examine the heels.

The heel must be firmly attached to the sole and not wobble. It’s necessary to look at the shoes from the side. In good quality pumps, the high heels are positioned exactly under the center of the heel and touch the ground at a slight incline.

It’s worth looking carefully at the heels from behind – any deviation of the heels from the angle of 90⁰ indicates a defective product. Moreover, these shoes are simply dangerous to wear – this may lead to ankle injuries.

Loose eyelets are a bad sign.

Any metal or plastic parts on the shoe (especially those that come into contact with the skin) should be tightly fastened. Thus, it’s worth carefully examining the eyelets for laces. Although this defect is quite rare, it can lead to wearer’s injury.

You should also check how well any embellishments are attached to the shoe. If they fall off at one point, the pair won’t look good anymore.

Carefully inspect the inside of the shoe.

Some manufacturers save on the training of workers and don’t calibrate equipment before the production of a new product line. As a result, shoes, boots and sneakers may have seemingly insignificant defects such as wrinkles and creases. If these defects are small, they won’t cause much trouble to the wearer. But large creases can rub the skin while walking, which will lead to abrasions and blisters on the feet.

Examine the insoles.

Even if a shoe looks perfect from the outside, you need to scrutinize it from the inside too. If the insoles show small wrinkles and creases, this pair is likely to be uncomfortable to wear. In addition, you should carefully feel the insoles to make sure that there are no bubbles on them.

Another important thing is that there must be cushioning between the insole and the sole, especially in the toe and heel area. Otherwise, a long walk in these shoes will make not only your feet and legs sore, but also your back.

Check how the shoes smell.

Low-quality and cheap shoes often have a strong chemical odor. It’s best to refrain from buying this pair. But if shoes or boots exude the scent of leather, polish or wood, you’ve found the shoes of high quality.

Take a photo of the shoes.

Of course, shoes made of synthetic materials can also be of high quality, especially when it comes to sports models. But good shoes should ideally be made of leather. They are softer and fit better on the foot, which means they will be much more comfortable to wear.

However, the quality of leather also varies. Often, manufacturers don’t mention the type of leather they use to make shoes in order to keep costs down. To determine the quality of the product you are holding in your hands, you need to take a photo of the shoes and enlarge the image. If you can see pores on the leather, you can safely buy the shoes.

Bend the shoe a little bit.

You don’t need to knead your shoes too much, but you can bend the shoe slightly to see how flexible the sole is and whether it remains attached to the upper part when moved. In addition, it’s worth pressing the sides of the shoe a little bit. Throughout the day, our feet usually increase in size a little, so a quality pair should adapt to these changes.

Check how your shoes sound.

Most shoe shops have soft carpeting on the floor, so it’s a good idea to take a short walk on a harder surface before making a purchase. If the soles and heels make unpleasant clanking noises when you walk, you are likely to be wearing a low-quality pair. And platform or wedge shoes shouldn’t sound like there are voids inside the sole.

Examine the material of the sole and heel carefully.

Usually the sole of a really good quality pair is made of leather or good rubber. These shoes are comfortable to wear, and in addition, they almost don’t slip. At the same time, if the base of the sole is uneven, then these shoes will be uncomfortable.

In addition, it’s worth examining the material from which the heels are made. If the manufacturer used plastic or didn’t cover the heel with leather or fabric, then you are looking at a cheap product that is far from being perfect.

Rub the shoes with a cloth.

Sometimes manufacturers use poor quality leather dyes, which can leave marks on the skin or clothes. Therefore, before buying, you should carefully rub the shoes inside and outside, first with a dry cloth and then with a damp cloth. If there are no marks on the fabric, the shoes are okay.

And here’s a list of fashionable shoes that are not as cool as they look.

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