Anderson Cooper shares his joy at watching his two sons play with the same childhood toys he and late brother Carter shared as kids – years before his sibling died by suicide
- The news presenter, 56, is raising sons Wyatt, three, and Sebastian, 19 months
- He told People he found wooden blocks dating back to his own childhood.
- Sadly, Anderson’s older brother Carter committed suicide at the age of 23 in 1988.
Anderson Cooper admitted that his two young sons played with some of the same toys the news anchor shared with his late brother Carter.
The CNN personality, 56, opened up in the latest issue of People about his recent heartwarming experiences raising his children, Wyatt, three, and Sebastian, 19 months.
“I recently found some wooden blocks that my brother and I were playing with,” Anderson said.
“It was a big toy for us,” he continued of his and Carter’s favorite childhood toys.
Anderson Cooper, 56, told People that his two young sons — Wyatt, three, and Sebastian, 19 months — have taken a liking to some of the same toys he shared with his late older brother.
Anderson co-parents Wyatt and Sebastian with her ex of 50 years, Benjamin Maisani (pictured right)
Anderson (left) is a descendant of the illustrious Vanderbilt family through his late mother, Gloria (center). He is also pictured here with his brother Carter (right). Photographed around 1969
“They have all these markings on them – we drew robots on them and all that.
“And now to see Wyatt playing with it and building things, it’s crazy.”
Meanwhile, Sebastian reportedly took a liking to a “box” that Anderson remembers making as a first grader.
“I remember making this box. And now Sebastian has it and puts books in it and stuff,” Anderson told People.
“It’s nice to see this cycle of life and love and how all these things repeat themselves.
“They play the same games I played as a kid and invent new games. And I just have this incredible feeling of wonder about it and witnessing it up close.
Anderson co-parents Wyatt and Sebastian with his ex of 50 years, Benjamin Maisani.
Although he split from Benjamin in 2018, Anderson insisted that he and his former longtime partner were “like family to each other,” as People already reported.
Anderson’s late mother, Gloria, was an iconic New York socialite, fashion designer, and author. Photographed in 1976
Carter, Anderson’s older brother, committed suicide in 1988 at the age of 23. They are photographed together in 1972.
The Emmy-winning broadcast journalist is a descendant of the exalted Vanderbilt family through his late mother, the iconic New York socialite, fashion designer and author Gloria Vanderbilt, who died in 2019 at the age of 95 years.
Anderson’s brother, Carter, who was two years older, committed suicide at the age of 23 in 1988.
He left no notes and there was otherwise no clear explanation as to why he chose to end his life.
Carter was Anderson’s only full brother. He also has two older half-brothers – Christopher Stokowski, 71, and Leo Stanislaus Stokowski, 73 – from his mother’s first marriage to conductor Leopold Stokowski.
In July 1988, The New York Times covered Carter’s memorial service and highlighted a clip of Anderson’s remarks, then 21 years old.
“Anderson Cooper, his voice cracking with emotion, said his brother’s soul was “golden and true,” the newspaper reported.
”’It’s hard to believe he won’t wander around here absent-mindedly, laugh good-naturedly and apologize for all the trouble he’s caused, then ask Mom to make him some spaghetti… We have to everyone take courage. Carter is no longer in pain.”’