Anderson Cooper opens up about what it's like to co-parent with his ex

Anderson Cooper is opening up about raising his 16-month-old son, Wyatt, with his former partner, Benjamin Maisani.

“It’s probably an unusual setup, but I knew he would be a great dad, and he is,” Cooper, 54, told People. “We’re exes, but we’re family to each other, and we love each other as family and as co-parents. ...

“There’s the usual bickering that any two people have when there’s a kid involved, like what time should he go to swimming class, or should he wear the overalls or whatever,” the CNN anchor continued. “But all silly, minor things. We get along great.”

Related: The CNN anchor and Benjamin Maisani welcomed their first child with the help of surrogate in 2017.

Cooper and Maisani went public with their relationship in 2015, three years after Cooper came out as gay. In 2018, Cooper announced that he and the French businessman, 48, had separated, but would remain in each other's lives.

“I’ve always believed that if you’ve been with somebody and that ends, in terms of an intimate relationship, if you love somebody, there’s no reason why that love shouldn’t continue,” Cooper said.

While speaking with People, Maisani remarked on how Cooper has changed since welcoming Wyatt in April 2020.

“He’s happy and relaxed in a way he’s never been before,” Maisani shared. “Wyatt has grounded him.”

Last year, Cooper explained that he grew up in a single-parent household and wants Wyatt to have a different experience.

“I don’t really have a family and so my friends become my family,” he said during an appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Howard Stern Show.”

He added: "I thought if something ever happens to me, or even if something doesn't happen to me, if more people love my son and are in his life, I'm all for that. My ex is a great guy and I think it's good to have two parents, if you can."

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