The Affair Rumors That Plagued Anderson Cooper's Long-Term Relationship With His Ex

Anderson Cooper has been one of the most recognizable faces on CNN since 2001. And, until February 2026, Anderson was also an integral part of CBS News' "60 Minutes," but sometimes he makes the news instead of just reporting on it. Cooper publicly came out as gay in 2012, the same year it was revealed he had a long-term boyfriend named Benjamin Maisani, the owner of a Manhattan gay bar called Eastern Bloc. There were even rumors of wedding bells for the happy couple, who also lived together, until it all got incredibly awkward when shocking photos dropped.

In August 2012, the Daily Mail published several intimate pictures of Maisani kissing an unidentified, dark-haired man in a park in New York. These weren't grainy photos captured from far way either, but detailed closeups of the two locking lips, smiling as they looked into each other's eyes, and holding hands. The images were highly concerning, especially considering Cooper and Maisani had already been together for three years and were reportedly considering adopting a child.

Cooper and Maisani seemingly made it through the photo scandal intact until they broke up in early 2018, with the beloved CNN star telling the Daily Mail in a statement at the time, "Benjamin and I separated as boyfriends some time ago. We are still family to each other, and love each other very much. We remain the best of friends, and will continue to share much of our lives together." Of course, that's what most high-profile exes say. But this time around, Cooper and Maisani really meant it. 

In April 2020, Anderson Cooper announced that he had welcomed a son named Wyatt Morgan Cooper, which honored the CNN stalwart's family history, via surrogate. In an Instagram post, the new dad gushed, "As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child, and I'm grateful for all those who have paved the way." Just a month later, Cooper proudly confirmed on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" that Benjamin Maisani was going to be "a co-parent to Wyatt even though we're not together anymore. He's my family, and I want him to be Wyatt's family as well." In 2022, the exes became parents a second time, to son Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper. As the host explained on "Anderson Cooper 360," "Wyatt calls me 'Daddy' and Benjamin 'Papa.' We're a family." 

He added, "Benjamin is also in the process of adopting Wyatt, whose last name will be changed to Maisani-Cooper as well," (via People). Likewise, during a 2023 interview with People, Cooper shared that he wasn't dating, nor was it a priority, because, "I love spending time with the kids so much that the idea of taking any time away seems impossible to me." In fact, when the CBS News stalwart shocked fans by saying goodbye to "60 Minutes," he released a statement with his reasoning, reiterating, "I have little kids now and I want to spend as much time with them as possible, while they want to spend time with me," (via CBS News). As such, Wyatt and Sebastian are incredibly lucky to have two loving dads.