CNN host Anderson Cooper has recently divulged a touching and unexpected proposal he received from his late mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, years before he even considered starting a family.
Juggling the responsibilities of fatherhood, with two young children demanding his attention, Anderson looked back on a time when the prospect of parenthood was just a distant thought. The recollection was shared during a September 26 segment on Sirius XM's The Howard Stern Show.
"Anderson," Gloria had begun in her signature mysterious manner, a preamble he jokingly associated with her elaborate interior decorating whims or more eccentric requests, like needing him "to hide a body." However, this particular conversation had taken a completely unexpected turn.
Anderson remembered: "She told me, 'Honey, there's something I really need to talk to you about.'" He playfully added that while he had braced himself for one of her typical whimsical tales, he wasn't quite prepared for what came next.
"She began by saying, 'I went to the gynecologist the other day,' and keep in mind, my mom was 85 then," Anderson shared.
"She continued, 'And she told me the most astonishing thing, that I could still bear children.'" The news took him aback. At 56, Anderson highlighted how he's honed the skill of maintaining a composed face, largely thanks to a lifetime of responding to his mother's more outlandish declarations.
"I've spent years not reacting to my mom's unique statements," he said, playfully. "So, I just responded, 'That's truly remarkable, Mom.'"
His initial assumption was that Gloria was considering having another child of her own. In jest, Anderson said, "My immediate thought was, 'How can I dissuade my 85-year-old mom from having a baby?' I'm sure we've all been there, right?"
Gloria then dropped the real bombshell. Rather than having a child for herself, she offered to be a surrogate for Anderson. "I had to tell her, 'Mom, I deeply love you, but this is a bit over the top, even for you,'" Anderson recollected, amused by the audacity and depth of her proposition.
In the end, Anderson and his former partner, Benjamin Maisani, did choose the path of surrogacy.
Together, they were blessed with two sons—Wyatt in 2020, who's now three, and Sebastian, who's 19 months, born in 2022. Gloria's passing in 2019 meant she did not witness the birth of these two additions to the family, but her legacy of love and eccentricity surely endures in their lives.
Anderson's love for his children is palpable. This year, he celebrated Wyatt's third birthday with a heartwarming Instagram tribute. Posting endearing photos with his sons and alongside Benjamin, he wrote: "Wyatt Morgan Maisani-Cooper turned 3 today! He and his brother Sebastian are the most precious blessings I could've ever wished for."