Anderson Cooper, 49, and his mom, Gloria Vanderbilt, 92, barely touched on his half-brother and her son, Christopher Stokowski, 64, in their documentary, Nothing Left Unsaid, but seeing it was enough for Christopher to finally reach out after 38 years. Christopher abandoned his family in 1978 and hadn’t been in contact with Anderson or Gloria since, but his former fiancee, April Sandmeyer, helped them reunite after the film’s release in April.
“Yes, we did reconnect and reconcile after the film,” Anderson confirmed to Page Six, without giving any further details. His uncle, however, revealed that Christopher and Gloria have seen each other three times, and April said, “I’m very happy for them and glad to have played a part in them being back in touch.”
Famous Families — PICS
The exact details surrounding Christopher’s disappearance are hazy, but it’s said that he became a recluse after a strange encounter with Gloria’s therapist, who reportedly “interfered” in his personal and love life. Anderson was just ten years old when his brother left, which was around the same time his father, Wyatt Cooper, passed away, so it was an incredibly difficult time for the journalist.
Gloria was married to Christopher’s father, Leopold Stokowski, from 1945-1955, and while they were together, she gave birth to the 64-year-old and his brother, Leopold Stanislaus “Stan” Stowkowski. She married the CNN anchor’s father in Dec. 1963, and gave birth to Carter Cooper, who committed suicide at the age of 23 in 1988, and then Anderson, the youngest, was born in 1967.
Obviously, the 49-year-old has dealt with a lot of loss when it comes to family, so it’s refreshing to know that he’s started to reconnect with Christopher after so many years.
HollywoodLifers, are you surprised to learn that Anderson and his brother reunited?