Anderson Cooper’s Kids Speak French & Could Be “Plotting” Against Him

Anderson Cooper is living the best version of his life right now. The 56-year-old CNN anchor splits his time between New York City and Connecticut with his 3-year-old son Wyatt and 19-month-old son Sebastian. He also lives with his ex-partner Benjamin Maisani, a French business owner he dated for several years until 2018 who is co-parenting the two boys with Cooper. And teaching them French as well, it seems. Which is impressive but also... could they be “plotting” against him? He can’t tell.

Cooper spoke to People recently about life at home with his sons and Maisani. They have a lovely routine together, especially when they are all in New England. “We have the diner we go to every morning — they like the folks who run the diner very much,” Cooper explained to the outlet. “And they love to swim. I love getting them ready for their afternoon nap and sitting with them and reading and then having them fall asleep in my arms. There’s nothing better.”

We assume the family is ordering their food at the diner in English, even though three of them can speak French. Cooper is not one of those three. He opened up about how he and Maisani share parenting duties for Wyatt and Sebastian, both of whom were born via surrogate. “I work nights, and so he’s there at night. And we both wake up right before they wake up, get them their milk and spend the first couple of hours of the day just us with them,” the proud dad explained. “And Benjamin speaks French to them. I have no idea what they’re saying. I think they’re plotting against me.”

I mean, he’s a pretty smart guy. He could probably just learn to speak French. Otherwise on his head be it.

Cooper and Maisani have been living together and co-parenting ever since Wyatt came into the world in 2020, and while they are no longer a couple, the Astor author still calls his ex-boyfriend “family.” Even if he is teaching their sons that super secret language, French. He told Ellen DeGeneres in 2021 that he and Maisani “actually still live in the same house, because we get along really well and...yeah, it's weird but it works out,” he said at the time. “It's interesting, because he wasn't really sure he wanted to have a kid — which is one of the reasons we probably broke up — but then, he came around to the idea. Now he is such a great parent.”

Or as Cooper’s sons might say, Il est un très bon parent. See? It’s not so hard.