The Real Reason Anderson Cooper Is Raising Baby Wyatt With His Ex

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced he'd become a father to son Wyatt Morgan Cooper on-air during his April 30, 2020 broadcast, but the silver fox took to The Howard Stern Show to confirm that he and ex-boyfriend Benjamin Maisani plan to co-parent the newborn. He added that, when he was a child, his mother wasn't exactly what he'd call "parental." He said, "I wish some adult after my dad died had stepped in and just been like, 'You know what, I'll take you to a ball game.'" As such, he believes that the more people who surround his son with love, the better. Cooper also revealed that Wyatt will call him "Dad" and "Daddy," while Maisani, who speaks to the baby in French, will go by "Papa." Cooper even joked that he had no idea what Maisani was saying to their child. To say Anderson Cooper was ecstatic to welcome son Wyatt, who was named after Cooper's late father, into this world via surrogate would be an understatement. He told CNN: "It has been a difficult time in all of our lives, and there are certainly many hard days ahead. It is, I think, especially important in these times of trouble to try to hold on to moments of joy and moments of happiness. Even as we mourn the loss of loved ones, we are also blessed with new life and new love." Cooper, who grew up knowing he was gay, never thought he'd ever have a child of his own, but thanks to the "remarkable" surrogate who carried Wyatt, Cooper can now call himself a father for the first time. On Instagram, Cooper wrote: "It is an extraordinary blessing what she, and all surrogates give to families who can't have children. My surrogate has a beautiful family of her own, a wonderfully supportive husband, and kids, and I am incredibly grateful for all the support they have given Wyatt and me. My family is blessed to have this family in our lives." Just how much time he'll be able to spend with his family, well, that's up for debate! During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Anderson Cooper explained that he had no plans to take paternity leave following son Wyatt's birth because continuing to cover the coronavirus is important to the CNN broadcast journalist. He added that he's thankful he can work from home while so many millions of people have lost their jobs, or worse. However he does feel like, from his perspective, "This is an extraordinary time to be in this business as a reporter and to be able to try to help inform people..." Thankfully, Cooper has a strong support system to help him achieve work-life balance as he juggles fatherhood and the coronavirus outbreak. After all, not only does he have co-parent Benjamin Maisani in his corner, but he also has help from the former nanny of his pal Andy Cohen. Per Entertainment Tonight, Bravo host Cohen explained: "We had long planned this transition, but I certainly didn't expect it to happen during a quarantine. She is now with Anderson and I know she's going to get Wyatt on a great sleep schedule just like she got Ben. I'm so happy for Anderson." And so are we! We wish Cooper and Maisani nothing but the best as they experience the joys of fatherhood together with baby Wyatt. Watch the video to learn The Real Reason Anderson Cooper Is Raising Baby Wyatt With His Ex! #AndersonCooper #BenjaminMaisani