Anderson Cooper reveals he 'feels very lonely' without mom Gloria Vanderbilt
Anderson Cooper took several minutes during his "Anderson Cooper 360" broadcast Thursday to present a heartbreaking tribute to his mother Gloria Vanderbilt, who died Monday at age 95 of advanced stomach cancer.
Addressing his viewers, Cooper mentioned that his entire immediate family – his mother, father, and brother – have now passed away.
"I never realized until now how much she was my north star, (and) things seem a lot less bright and magical without her," he said. "My dad died when I was ten, and my brother when I was 21. She was the last of my immediate family, the last person who knew me from the beginning. They’re all gone and it feels very lonely right now. I hope they are at least together."
"She never let fear or pain or loss prevent her from forging ahead, from moving forward. She always believed the best was yet to come.”@AndersonCooper pays tribute to his mom, Gloria Vanderbilt, who passed away at the age of 95. https://t.co/aKwerHuU9p pic.twitter.com/7EGIDbq5vq
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) June 21, 2019
"Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman, who loved life, and lived it on her own terms," Cooper said in a statement earlier this week confirming his mother's death. "She was a painter, a writer, and designer but also a remarkable mother, wife, and friend. She was 95 years old, but ask anyone close to her, and they'd tell you, she was the youngest person they knew, the coolest, and most modern."
Cooper previously remembered his mother in a series of Instagram pictures of Vanderbilt throughout her life, including one of mother and son holding hands before her death.
"In the end, after all else is stripped away, there is only love," Cooper wrote. "My mom believed in love more than anyone. It was her guide, her solace, it’s what drove her, and in her final moments, it is what surrounded her."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anderson Cooper reveals he 'feels very lonely' without mom Gloria Vanderbilt