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Anderson Cooper has become one of television’s most recognizable journalists through his longtime work at CNN, his nearly two decades on CBS’ 60 Minutes and his annual New Year’s Eve special with Andy Cohen. While Cooper recently signed off from 60 Minutes in May 2026, he continues to balance his busy television career with life as a father to his two sons, Wyatt and Sebastian.
When announcing his departure from 60 Minutes, Cooper explained that fatherhood played a major role in the decision. “For nearly twenty years, I’ve been able to balance my jobs at CNN and CBS, but I have little kids now and I want to spend as much time with them as possible, while they still want to spend time with me,” he said in a February 2026 statement.
The CNN anchor welcomed both children via surrogate and co-parents them with his former partner Benjamin Maisani, whom he has described as his “best friend.” Over the years, Cooper has frequently opened up about how becoming a father changed his life. Learn more about Anderson’s two sons below.
Wyatt Morgan Maisani-Cooper
The proud father welcomed his eldest son, Wyatt Morgan Maisani-Cooper, via surrogate in April 2020. He took to Instagram at the time to announce the exciting news with an emotional post. “I want to share with you some joyful news. On Monday, I became a father. This is Wyatt Cooper. He is three days old. He is named after my father, who died when I was ten,” Anderson penned in the caption of the photos of his newborn.
He celebrated his son’s third birthday with a tribute post on April 27, 2023. “This little peanut turned 3 today! Wyatt Morgan Maisani-Cooper. He and his brother Sebastian are the greatest blessings I could ever have hoped for,” he captioned the carousel of photos of the birthday boy. In the last slide of the post, Anderson even included a family photo with his two kids and his ex, Benjamin.
Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper
Just before Wyatt turned two, Anderson announced the arrival of his youngest son, Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper, during a live episode of CNN in February 2022. The following day, he took to Instagram to share a video of the announcement and a sweet caption. “last night i announced the birth of my second son, Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper. Thank you so much for all the kind messages!” he penned in the caption of the post at the time.
Anderson explained that he continues to co-parent both children with his “best friend” Benjamin, who the kids call “papa.” The Anderson Cooper 360° host also explained that Wyatt calls him “daddy.” Most recently, Anderson shared a video of Sebastian on his first birthday in February 2023. “Sebastian just celebrated his 1st birthday! He loves listening to an old music box that belonged to my mom. Sebastian is sweet and strong and smart and loves his big brother Wyatt a lot,” he penned. “They fill my heart with joy and love in a way i never imagined possible. Happy Birthday Sebastian!”
What Anderson Cooper Has Said About Parenthood
Anderson opened up about parenting and fatherhood during a September 2023 interview with PEOPLE. “This is the best time in my life,” he said regarding raising his two sons. “There is no doubt about it.” The Astor author joked about how Benjamin speaks to their kids in French.
“I work nights, and so he’s there at night. And we both wake up right before they wake up, get them their milk and spend the first couple of hours of the day just us with them,” he told the mag. “And Benjamin speaks French to them. I have no idea what they’re saying. I think they’re plotting against me.”
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