Anderson Cooper Lost Dad at 10 & Avoided Father's Day for 40 Years — 1st Son Helped Him Overcome the Pain

Anderson Cooper had no reason to celebrate father's day for four decades because it only made him recall the father he lost at age ten. However, things changed when he welcomed a child of his own who helped him re-establish the connection he had lost before.

New year's eve is a day many celebrate and look forward to. Still, Anderson Cooper refused to acknowledge the celebrations for a long time because it always reminded him that his father had passed away just four days after.

On January 5, 1978, his father was in the hospital, and Cooper never forgot that day; it was the day that he would lose his father forever.

Cooper's father, Wyatt Cooper, was aged 50 when he passed during a heart operation, and it took years for him to even talk about his grief with anybody. It was one of those life-altering circumstances; decades later, the effects still linger. He said:

"My dad's death radically changed who I was and became. I became much more introverted. I became very concerned about survival."

Indeed the tragedy shook Cooper, but it was not the only one he had to endure at a young age. Ten years after his dad passed, his brother, Carter Cooper, died after taking his own life.

For him, the whole affair was "hard to comprehend;" however, it did not change how he felt about his brother deep down.

NO FATHER'S DAY IN ANDERSON'S LIFE FOR 40 YEARS

Despite all that he had to endure growing up, Cooper became a successful adult; however, he continued to carry the scars deep within his heart. He loathed new year's eve, avoided celebrating Father's Day like a plague, and even refused to acknowledge that such a day existed.

Just before Father's day, Cooper revealed that having a son helped him connect with his parents' past in a way he never expected.

For him, the pain of remembering what he had lost was much too great, so as he grew up, he did not join other kids who would get excited about the day. He once confessed that the feeling was not bittersweet but "inexplicable."

ANDERSON'S LIFE 'HAS BEGUN' AFTER HAVING HIS FIRST SURROGATE SON

Cooper's father was a good one, which was one of the things that made his father's death such a painful experience for him. In May 2020, Cooper became a father himself when he welcomed his first son, Wyatt, via a surrogate.

He shared the news broadcast with his fans during his show on CNN and again on his Instagram page, where he posted a montage of photos that captured him cradling the child in his arms and feeding him.

In his Instagram post, he revealed that the boy was named Wyatt Cooper after his late father and expressed a desire to be as good a father as his father had been. He also stated that the boy's middle name would be Morgan, a family name on his mom's side.

Cooper became aware that he was attracted to men at the age of 12, and whenever he considered it, he was reminded that it meant that he would never be able to have a child of his own, and it would always upset him. He said:

"When I was 12 years old and knew I was gay and thought about my life, it always upset me because I thought, 'I will never be able to have a kid.'"

Having a child meant going through things like feeding the child, setting up a sleep schedule, and changing diapers; however, Cooper did it all with happiness. Speaking about parenthood, he said:

"It feels like my life has actually begun."

Cooper enjoyed being a father so much that he decided to welcome a second child. Earlier this year, he revealed on his CNN show "Anderson Cooper 360" that he had expanded his brood once more with another child named Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper.

Cooper revealed that both kids were being raised by him and his former partner, Benjamin Maisani. He then thanked the health personnel who helped usher Sebastian into the world and the surrogate who carried him safely for nine months.

FATHER'S DAY RETURN WITH TWO BABY SONS

Since becoming a father, Cooper has not held back how much he adores his kids, and even though they are still just toddlers, they have changed his life incredibly.

For example, before their arrival, Cooper would usually ignore Father's Day because of the pain of losing his father. However, since he became one himself, the freedom to enjoy the day became available to him.

In an Instagram post he shared during this year's father's day, he admitted to pretending Father's Day did not exist because losing his father had been painful.

He confessed that it still was sometimes but revealed that he was celebrating this time with Wyatt, Sebastian, and their "papa," Benjamin.

Just before Father's day, Cooper revealed that having a son helped him connect with his dad and mom's past in a way he never expected.

He confessed that it was like a "communion of some sort" and stated that it made him remember things about his dad that he had forgotten because he was now doing those things with his kids.

This year the newsman turned 55, and to celebrate the milestone, he took to his Instagram page with pictures that featured his two boys, Wyatt and Sebastian.

In his caption, he revealed that he is "blissfully happy and lucky" to have two sons at age 55. It does not surprise many that even on his birthday, Cooper was talking about his boys.

He does not shy away from the opportunity of sharing their photos and praising their roles in his life, especially on his Instagram page, which has been inundated with pictures of them.