What Happened to Anderson Cooper? TV Host Opens Up About Family Tragedy and Managing Grief

Anderson Cooper recently replaced pal Kelly Ripa on Live With Kelly and Mark on July 27. A few days before the talk show appearance, the CNN anchor opened up about a family tragedy in a heartfelt Instagram post. Scroll below to find out what happened to Anderson. 

What Happened to Anderson Cooper? 

On July 22, Anderson shared a tribute to his late brother, Carter Cooper, on Instagram. 

“It is 35 years today since my brother, Carter Cooper, died,” he penned alongside childhood photos of his sibling. “I think of him, and miss him, every day.”

Anderson has not returned to Instagram since posting the sentimental family photos. Carter died by suicide in 1988, 10 years after the death of his father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, at age 50 during open heart surgery. 

Anderson got candid about managing his grief over the years after the sudden deaths of his father and brother. 

“Any time you lose a loved one, especially when you’re younger, it alters the trajectory of your life,” Anderson previously shared. “It’s inconceivable to me that my brother died in 1988 and I’ve lived more of my life without him than I have with him. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about what he would be doing, who he would be and I still think about his death and have questions about it.”

The longtime newscaster lost his mom, Gloria Vanderbilt, in June 2019 at age 95 from stomach cancer.

“It was the same with my mom,” he added. “Till the day she died, we were both still stunned by what happened. There are some things that never can be answered, and you have to find a way to live in that space of not knowing, or not fully understanding.”

Does Anderson Cooper Have Children?

Anderson’s fans have long admired how open and honest he is about facing his family’s tragedies, grief and his introduction into fatherhood. The Dispatches From the Edge author is a dad to two sons, Wyatt and Sebastian, whom he shares with ex Benjamin Maisani.

While Anderson and Benjamin are no longer together, coparenting their boys is their top priority. Benjamin was in the delivery room with him during Wyatt’s birth via surrogate in April 2020.

“Even though we’re not together anymore … he’s my family, and I want him to be Wyatt’s family as well,” Anderson said of their relationship. “I knew what it was like growing up without a dad. If there was ever something that happened to me, I would want Wyatt to be surrounded by love.”

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).