Anderson Cooper Says He Gave His Mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, Dating Advice

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Given that his mother was Gloria Vanderbilt, CNN broadcaster Anderson Cooper did not have your average childhood. Cooper was born into the famed Vanderbilt dynasty—his great-great-great-grandfather was shipping and railroad tycoon, Cornelius Vanderbilt. Gloria was an artist and socialite who also designed home furnishings. She died in 2019 at age 95.

In his new book, Vanderbilt, out on September 21, Cooper details the story of his mother's side of his family. In speaking about his book with People, Cooper discussed his relationship with Gloria, including a few unusual components of their dynamic. Cooper's father was Gloria's fourth and final husband, though he passed away in 1978. And in his adult life, Cooper ended up helping his mother with her romantic prospects.

"I miss the random phone calls with a crazy idea, or her asking me ludicrous relationship advice," Cooper said. "I'm certainly not anyone to give relationship advice, but I would give my mom feedback when she would go on dates, what I thought about the guys. Some of them I really didn't think much of at all! We had a really unique relationship."

Cooper also discussed the other qualities of his mother's that he has missed since her passing.

"My mom was extraordinarily unique, and I miss that uniqueness in my life," Cooper noted.

"It was sometimes very frustrating and stressful, because she never had a plan for things," he continued. "She was incredibly creative, so things were always changing. I was always having to adapt to her new ideas and encourage some of those, and try to discourage her from things that didn't make any sense."

Though Gloria never got to meet her grandson—Cooper's child, Wyatt Morgan was born in April 2020—Wyatt will certainly learn about his grandmother's family when he's old enough to read the book. Indeed, Cooper called the book "a letter" to Wyatt.

He noted, "I wanted to write a letter to Wyatt about this crazy and unusual part of his family's past."

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