Anderson Cooper Facts: Vanderbilt Family, Career, Kids

Though he has been the face of CNN for more than 20 years, there may be some surprising things about Anderson Cooper that you do not know. The broadcaster’s talents aren’t just limited to his work on TV.

Anderson was born in 1967 to parents Wyatt Emory Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt. His father was a screenwriter and actor while his mother was an artist and fashion designer and a part of the famous Vanderbilt family. The newscaster is a descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt, a trading and investing tycoon which Vanderbilt University is named after.

In 2010, Anderson took part in the CNN special Roots: Our Journeys Home to trace his ancestry across the U.S.

“The thing about the past is, one can’t help what zip code one was born in, what country or family you’re descended from,” he said during the episode. “All you can do is learn the lessons of those who came before you: their stories, their mistakes and their successes. You can’t choose what family you’re born into. All you can really do is choose how you want to live your own life.”

The Emmy winner started a family of his own in April 2020 when he welcomed his first child, son Wyatt Morgan, via surrogate with his ex-boyfriend Benjamin Maisani.

“I became a father,” Anderson gushed during an episode of Anderson Cooper 360 after the birth. “I’ve never actually said that before, out loud, and it still kind of astonishes me. I’m a dad. I have a son, and I want you to meet him.”

The former couple welcomed their second child, Sebastian Luke, via surrogate in February 2022. While they are no longer in a relationship, both Anderson and Benjamin are dedicated to coparenting their two little boys.

“Wyatt calls me ‘daddy’ and Benjamin ‘papa,’” the news host revealed on TV after his second son was born. “We’re a family. Benjamin is also in the process of adopting Wyatt, whose last name will be changed to Maisani-Cooper as well.”

Scroll below to learn five surprising facts about Anderson.

Anderson Is a Former Child Model

After the death of his father in 1978 during open heart surgery, Anderson began working as a child model.

“It’s such a cheesy thing to do,” he told Vogue in February 2016. “But I wanted to take care of myself. When you lose a parent at 10 years old, the world seems like a much scarier place. It makes complete sense to me that I took survival courses when I was a teenager and started going to war zones as a reporter. I didn’t ever want to be taken advantage of, and I wanted to be able to take care of those around me.”

He Initially Didn’t Know His Family Was Famous

Growing up with his brother, Carter, by his side, Anderson and his sibling were shocked to learn they came from one of the wealthiest families in U.S. history.

“There were statues of my great-great-great grandfather [Cornelius] in New York,” he once said. “I actually thought as a kid that everyone’s grandparents turned into a statue when they died.”

What Is Anderson’s Natural Hair Color?

Though his hair has been gray since he got his start on TV, Anderson reminisced about his natural hair color.

“I used to have brown hair and then in my 30s, [I had] salt-and-pepper hair and now I keep thinking there has to be pepper somewhere in there,” he said during a June 2016 appearance on Live! With Kelly. “Every time I look in the mirror, I still, in my mind, think I have brown hair and then I’m like, ‘Who is that old guy?’”