Anderson Cooper Describes Co-Parenting Baby Wyatt With His Ex, Benjamin Maisani

CNN anchor, Anderson Cooper, 53, explained why he decided to co-parent his son, Wyatt Morgan, with his ex-partner, Benjamin Maisani, 47. In an interview with People, Cooper called his relationship with Maisani “unconventional” as he opened up about why the men decided to raise baby Wyatt together.

Wyatt was born via surrogate on April 27. The birth was a surprise to many, as the CNN host had not publicly announced he was expecting a child. It also wasn’t known if Cooper would be co-parenting with anyone, as the anchor was single at the time. Cooper and Maisani broke up in 2018 after dating for 10 years, although it is now known the two plan to raise Wyatt together in Cooper’s four-story converted firehouse.

The CNN anchor explained that the issue of having children was a big one during their relationship. Maisani wasn’t sure if he wanted kids and it was only after Cooper declared he was moving forward with a surrogate that Maisani hopped on board.

“When I decided, ‘I’m just going to do this,’ he started to be interested,” the anchor told People.

He said he understood the pair’s relationship may be considered “unconventional;” however, that doesn’t change how they feel about each other.

“He is my family.”

Having family members in his child’s life was very important to Cooper. His father passed away during heart surgery when he was just 10 years old.

“I knew what it was like growing up without a dad,” he explained.

Having a partner was something of importance to Cooper in case anything ever happened to him, so his child would have a stable environment to grow up in no matter what.

“If there was ever something that happened to me, I would want Wyatt to be surrounded by love,” he went on.

He further explained that he and Maisani are a good team and there was no ill will between the two post-split.

“There is no acrimony between us,” Cooper told the publication.

The pair are reveling in fatherhood, he said, and he noted just how much Wyatt has caused them to be more emotional. He admitted that he was “maybe a little bit of a harder egg to crack” than Maisani, but both have been brought to tears on several occasions. He was surprised at just how “weepy” the two have been since the birth.

“I cry at things I never cried at before,” he said.

As The Inquisitr previously reported, Cooper felt like his life had just begun now that Wyatt was here. The CNN anchor also admitted he was much more invested in the world and what was happening in it now that he was a father.