Anderson Cooper Will Marry Boyfriend, Mother Gloria Vanderbilt Anxious For Him To "Adopt & Settle Down"
Anderson Cooper, 45, is planning to marry his boyfriend, club owner Ben Maisani, in New York City.
The National Enquirer reported that the couple was encouraged to marry last year by Anderson's mother, fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt.
The talk show host is reportedly "planning to marry long-term live-in boyfriend... and it could be as soon as Labor Day," a source told The National Enquirer exclusively.
Vanderbilt, 88, a grandmother of three, had been pushing Cooper to adopt a child. "At her age, Gloria is desperate to see her son settle down and make a family," added the source.
Vanderbilt reportedly helped them work through relationship problems concerning work schedule conflicts. Cooper agreed to cut back on trips abroad, while Maisani, who owns a gay bar called "Eastern Bloc" in Manhattan's East Village agreed to work fewer night shifts.
"He'd been considering breaking the news [about being gay] since same-sex marriage became legal in the state of New York last summer," the source added. 'It's been about a year now and he wants to get married to Ben. They're totally committed to one another."
While Cooper actually did not directly address whether or not he was dating anyone when he made his announcement, rumors have been going around since 2008 about his relationship with Benjamin Maisani, according to Zimbio.
Cooper confirmed speculation about his sexuality for the first time several weeks ago in an open letter to Daily Beast, saying: "The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be more happy."
The letter did not address Cooper's relationship status: "I love, and I am loved," he wrote. "In my opinion, the ability to love another person is one of God's greatest gifts, and I thank God every day for enabling me to give and share love with the people in my life . . . . I still consider myself a reserved person and I hope this doesn't mean an end to a small amount of personal space. But I do think visibility is important, more important than preserving my reporter's shield of privacy."
French-born Maisani, 39, lives with Cooper in his converted fire station townhouse, according to Zimbio. The couple has been spotted out together as far back as 2008. They were reportedly house hunting in 2009, according to Zimbio.
