Normally when family secrets are revealed after decades of silence, there aren’t cameras around to capture reactions.
Then again, normal families don’t have the last name Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper as a member.
Anderson’s mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, made the revelation that when she was thirteen years old, she had what she calls a “lesbian relationship” with a fellow classmate at Miss Porter’s School, an all-girls’ boarding school in Connecticut (sounds expensive).
Related: Andy.Cohen Finally Opens Up About Sex With Anderson Cooper
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“Cynthia, her name was, and she came once to visit my aunt in New York on holiday,” Vanderbilt, now 91, said in the below above. “We had this sort of lesbian relationship, and it felt so great.”
She added: “I think almost everybody goes through at one point…of course, the thing is, now we realize there’s no difference. Love is love.”
Amen, Gloria.
You can see the surprise wash over Anderson’s face, and it’s actually rather charming.
Related: Anderson Cooper Rightly Calls Out Trump For Acting Like A Child
Despite only learning of the brief romance now, Anderson always knew growing up that his mother would accept him when he decided to come out.
He tells the interviewer about dinner parties at the Vanderbilt’s growing up:
“I was about 12 or so, and I remember asking my mom about [her two gay friends] one night when they were coming over for dinner,” he recalled. “My mom said, ‘They’re a married couple.’ And, of course, they weren’t a married couple in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of most people in America.”
I knew that, ultimately, she would be absolutely fine with it,” he added.
Watch the revelation below.
Severn H Kirchem
I believe Gloria’s Mother did the same, part of that Nasty custody battle of little Gloria…
Bouissou Georges
Quand on voit la tête du mec, on comprend mieux…
Bouissou Georges
O my God ! It’s shoking…
Brian
I thought it was a little classless of Gloria Vanderbilt to do this. She might be rich but I’m not sure about classy.
joeyty
@Brian: Well…Truman Capote was close to her for years, but even he admitted the Vanderbilts were descended from a bunch of crooks. (But maybe he was just mad at her for something).
Bob LaBlah
Lord, so help me I thought that woman died ten years ago.
Gordon Karpen
ð???ð??©ð??¬ð??? Pretty darn well, thank you. And I’m very keen on the book, too.
Meanwhile:
Masc Pride
@Brian: Totally agree with you this time. There’s something very inappropriate and disturbing about parents talking about their sex lives or past experimentation(s) with their own children. Doesn’t matter that Anderson is almost 50. No child wants to hear it, and they really don’t need to know.
LI Yonk
You know everone has their rights to live by themselfs what about us! when we do something do we ment to?
Benet Leigh
Gloria is 91!!
Sweetie Pie
Gloria, Gloria Hallelujah !!
Her truth is marching on !
Antony Nguyen
Omg, i think wait it shouldnt be that shocking to him his mom is gloria freaken Vanderbilt i mean, but still lmao ð???
Aromaeus
@Masc Pride: She dated a girl when she was 13, what in the world makes you think it was sexual? Aren’t you the one always going on about men experimenting and not being labeled or whatever.
Hoyt Havel
got to love that handsome Anderson Cooper
o.codone
Anderson is a silly little girl and he makes me sick. Why is he interrupting his mother’s interview? Oh, yeah, because nobody ever told him to STFU and wait his turn. These are the nauseating 1% that the anarchist movement is talking about. Sickening gay white privilege.
DCguy
Yes, he just knew his mother would support him when he decided to come out.
40 years later.
footwork61
@o.codone: I sense you have an opinion on the matter? They co-wrote the book. It was an interview with the two of them. I think he was allowed to speak despite your disapproval.
CWM85
O condone sounds very jealous of Anderson’S Wealth and anti white. Lot of jealously there. Too bad you weren’t born rich and white.
Stached1
Is this an April fool’s day joke? If she really did cheat and have sex with a woman then she’s a bisexual woman.
northwest
Augusten Burroughs said Anderson Cooper won mom Lotto. His mom is a hoot even at 91.
Brent Labee
taking cues from kathy griffin ?
dean089
I would have preferred she not name the person, unless of course she had already discussed it with that person, but Gloria is nearly 100 and people that old pretty much do whatever the hell they want. 😉
As for the people getting all uptight about talking about her own sexuality in front of her son: seriously? It’s that whole ‘sex and sexuality are dirty’ Puritan bullshit thing that helps repress and oppress gays. GROW UP!
strix1
Gloria is 91…I think it is perfectly okay she brought this up…she may not have much time left. And she only mentioned the first name, who cares, she was 13, the other girl is probably dead and who knows how far the relationship went, they may have just had some heavy petting and innocent kissing…experimenting does make you a gay, lesbian or bisexual. BTW, I’ve seen many Anderson-Gloria interviews, this in now way affected Anderson, another great story about his mom.
Billy Budd
They are both gorgeous and fabulous. I love Anderson Cooper. He is dreamy.