Anderson Cooper Welcomes His Second Child

Photo credit: Dominik Bindl - Getty Images
Photo credit: Dominik Bindl - Getty Images


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Anderson Cooper is now a dad of two! This morning, the CNN anchor shared a photo to Instagram of his new baby, Sebastian Luke. He announced Sebastian's arrival last night on his show, Anderson Cooper 360, showing a picture of his eldest son, Wyatt Morgan, and saying, "If he looks particularly happy in this picture, it's because he now has a baby brother."

Cooper went on to share that his new baby's name is Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper, and that he was 6.8 pounds at birth. Cooper co-parents with his "best friend and former partner," Benjamin Maisani. Cooper goes by "Daddy" and Maisani goes by "Papa."

"When I announced Wyatt's birth, I said I liked to imagine my mom and dad and brother, all who are no longer alive, their arms around each other, smiling and joyful at his birth," Cooper said. "These past 22 months, I felt them watching over us very strongly and I already feel their love for Sebastian."

Wyatt was named after Cooper's father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, who passed away in 1978 at age 50 during open heart surgery. Cooper's brother, Carter, died by suicide when he was just 23 in 1988. Gloria Vanderbilt, Cooper's mother, passed away in 2019 at age 95.

Photo credit: Jack Robinson - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jack Robinson - Getty Images

Cooper is part of one of American wealthiest families; his mother is descended from Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was once the richest man in America. Last year, Cooper published Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, documenting his mother's family—a project that began after he started going through boxes in her apartment after her death. The book, he said, is a letter to his son "about this crazy and unusual part of his family's past."

In September 2021, Cooper made headlines when he announced he doesn't plan to leave his son an inheritance. "I grew up watching money being lost and knowing it was being lost, and from a very young age I was very aware of 'this is not me—this is money my mom has, but it's not money I'm going to have and I need to forge my own way.'" Cooper said.

Last year, Cooper also shared that many years before having Wyatt, his mother offered to be his surrogate, calling it "batsh*t crazy" and "nuts" of her to offer. He, of course, did not take her up on that.

Photo credit: Susan Wood/Getty Images - Getty Images
Photo credit: Susan Wood/Getty Images - Getty Images


Both Cooper's sons were born via surrogacy. "The family I was born into may be gone, but I feel them alive in the family we've created, new love, and new life," Cooper said in Sebastian's birth announcement on CNN. He also shared that Maisani will be adopting Wyatt, so both their sons will have the last name "Maisani-Cooper." Cooper and Maisani broke up in March 2018 after a decade together, but have remained close friends and co-parents.

Today, Cooper shared a sweet photo cuddling with Sebastian the day after he was born:

Here's to the new dads.

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