Anderson Cooper says he and ex Benjamin Maisani are still living together while they co-parent their son
CNN anchor welcomed son Wyatt via surrogate in April
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Your support makes all the difference.Anderson Cooper has opened up about the realities of co-parenting his son with his ex-boyfriend Benjamin Maisani, revealing that he and his former partner still live together.
The CNN anchor, who welcomed his nine-month-old son Wyatt Morgan in April, discussed the unique parenting situation during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday, where he said their arrangement is “weird’ but “works out”.
"We actually still live in the same house because we get along really well and, yeah, it's weird but it works out," he said. "It's interesting, he wasn't really sure he wanted to have a kid - which is one of the reasons we probably broke up - but then he came around to the idea, and now he is such a great parent."
Cooper then shared one memory that stands out, recalling the time he and Maisani took their son to get his childhood vaccines.
Joking that the nine-month-old did not skip the line for the Covid vaccine, and only received “the regular course that kids get,” the 53-year-old told DeGeneres: “Wyatt doesn't cry when he gets his shot. But I turned around when Wyatt got his first shot, and Benjamin is weeping. He's become this, like, big softie. It's really sweet to see."
While Cooper admires the parent that his former partner has become, he rejected DeGeneres’ suggestion that he and Maisani may get back together.
After the host said: “Well, maybe y'all will get back together?" Cooper responded: “No, no, that’s not gonna happen.”
The CNN journalist is open to adding to their family, however, responding to DeGeneres’ question about possibly having a second baby: “There’s nothing in the works but… I don’t know, yes, I would love to ... I think it would be great for him to have a sibling.
“I'm not sure I could handle another, but he's really such an easy kid. He’s such a happy little chappie and it’s such a joy.”
Cooper first revealed that he and Maisani, who were together for 10 years before separating in 2018, would be co-parenting Wyatt during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show in May 2020, where he said: “If more people love my son and are in his life, I’m all for that.”
The father-of-one also revealed that his own childhood impacted his decision, telling Stern that he wished he had had an adult step in after his father died who he could have spent quality time with.
Explaining that his late mother was not the “most parental parent,” he said: “And I wish some adult after my dad died had stepped in and just been like do you know what, I’ll take you to a ball game, let’s go out to lunch every now and then and let’s just talk. No one ever did that.”
“My ex is a great guy and I think it’s good to have two parents if you can,” he added.
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