Anderson Cooper Says His New Book Is "a Letter to My Son"

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In his third book, Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, Anderson Cooper delves into a complicated history that unravels the rise and fall of what was formerly one of the richest families in the U.S.—whom he just happens to be related to.

Cooper was raised by his late parents Wyatt Emory Cooper, who died when the CNN anchor was just 10 years old, and heiress-turned fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt, who passed in 2019. The journalist's great-great-great-grandfather was Cornelius Vanderbilt, who built a significant fortune through the construction of railroads and shipping in the 19th century.

However, it wasn't until Cooper welcomed his now 1-year-old son Wyatt, whom he raises with his ex Benjamin Maisani, that he truly felt an interest in looking into his family's past.

"In some ways I wanted this to be a letter to my son," the 54-year-old told People for a cover story. "My dad wrote a book before he died about his family growing up in Mississippi. And because he died when I was so young, a lot that I know of him came from that book. I wanted to write a letter to Wyatt about this crazy and unusual part of his family's past."

In June on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, the broadcaster opened up about co-parenting with Maisani, even revealing a hilarious antidote about missing his son's first steps.

“It was my first work trip for 60 Minutes and I was doing an interview,” Cooper said. “And I get this text from Wyatt’s other dad, Benjamin, and he said, ‘He just walked!’”

He jokingly continued, “I got really pissed at Benjamin. In my household, when I grew up, you would lie about everything. He should have just lied! He should have lied and said, ‘Oh no, he’s not walking at all,’ so when I got home and he walked, we’d be like, ‘Oh my God! It’s the first walk!’”

As for raising Wyatt with someone he broke up with in 2018 after a 10 year relationship? For Cooper it's all about ensuring the best for his son.

"I knew what it was like growing up without a dad," he told People. "If there was ever something that happened to me, I would want Wyatt to be surrounded by love."

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, which Cooper co-wrote with historian Katherine Howe, will be available on September 21.

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