Anderson Cooper and his family have been provided with a safety net in the wake of latest news considering his recent encounters with a stalker harassing his home.
Gerald Hurt, a 52-year-old man who had repeatedly shown up at the CNN anchor's family home and was arrested late last year has now been sentenced to 30 days in jail by a Manhattan court.
Gerald was charged just last week, according to Deadline, with eight counts of misdemeanor stalking, menacing and trespassing, and criminal contempt for violating a restraining order that Anderson, 56, had against him. He has now been given a five-year restraining order.
Per court papers, the ordeal first began on August 21, 2022, when Gerald showed up at Anderson's Manhattan home, a renovated Greenwich Village firehouse.
He claimed to have a package for the TV journalist and was told repeatedly to leave after dropping it off at the door, although didn't encounter Anderson himself.
That changed when Gerald showed up once again in September, this time while the father-of-two was home, and was asked multiple times to leave. Instead, Gerald tried to push his way into the home while leaning on the door.
© Getty ImagesA third time, in November, he was greeted by Anderson's ex partner Benjamin Maisani, with whom he remains close as they co-parent their sons Wyatt, three, and Sebastian, one.
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Benjamin asked him to leave as well, while Gerald claimed he was there to see Anderson. The final incident took place in December, when Gerald was once again greeted by Benjamin.
© InstagramWhen the night club owner, 50, told Gerald that they had issued a restraining order against him, he simply responded: "Oh, you mean that fake order?" He was arrested on December 15.
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This isn't the first time the Anderson Cooper 360 has dealt with a situation like this, with a 2014 incident also revolving around a New York man who was charged with felony menacing and harassment charges for reportedly terrorizing the anchor.
© InstagramThe offender, named Alex Hausner, was charged for repeatedly visiting Anderson and Benjamin and eventually served nine months behind bars.
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"Stalker is the furthest thing from what I am," he said in court at the time, adding that he was "in love" with the prolific news anchor, and said: "I'm sorry that he feels that way. He was never in any danger. I would die for him."
© Getty ImagesWhile taking a guilty plea, Alex added: "I don't really know what to say other than I did do this. I will admit that I did it…I mean, I'm not aware of how my actions were being interpreted."
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