Getty Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper
For the fifth year in a row, Andy Cohen will join Anderson Cooper to host CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live from New York City’s Times Square, which begins at 8 p.m. Eastern time. The pair will be counting down together until the clock strikes midnight, welcoming performers and special guests like Katy Perry and Patti LuPone.
And, though Cohen and Cooper make great co-hosts, they are also great friends off-camera. The two met in the early 1990s, according to Us Weekly, and clearly hit it off with each other. According to Woman’s Day, the two have been friends for over 25 years!
Here’s what you need to know about their relationship:
1. Cohen and Cooper Are Not Dating
Although Cohen and Cooper are extremely close friends, they are not romantically involved. However, during a 2017 appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Cooper revealed that the two were actually set up on a blind date in the 1990’s, which is how they met.
“We were actually set up on a blind date,” Cooper said during the appearance. “You know when straight people know two gay guys, they’re like, ‘Oh, you guys should meet.'”
However, before the blind date even happened, they both hopped on a phone call to set it up, but nothing ever seemed to come of it, at least, not romantically.
“I knew within 45 seconds, I was never going on a date with Andy Cohen,” Cooper said. “I imagined him in like a Bluetooth headset, gesticulating. He was all excited, and he violated my cardinal rule, which is he asked me about my mom within the first minute of talking to me.”
2. Cohen and Cooper Have Children That Are Close in Age
Cohen and Cooper’s friendship seems like it will span for many generations, as the two have children that are quite close in age. In February 2019, Cohen welcomed his son, Benjamin Cohen, via surrogate. And, a little more than one year later, in April 2020, Cooper welcomed his son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, also via surrogate.
“The highlight of my week for the last couple months has been taking Ben over on Saturday or Sunday and we have a little hangout with Wyatt for a couple hours,” Cohen said during a November 2020 episode of his radio show on SiriusXM, Radio Andy, with Anderson as a guest. “I feel like for the first few times, Ben didn’t really want anything to do with Wyatt or to even acknowledge him but I feel like last night was kind of a milestone, don’t you?”
In response, Anderson agreed, telling Cohen, “Yeah it was sweet ’cause I was playing with them both and Ben kissed Wyatt on the cheek and hugged him and it was so cute and he did that a couple times. And my heart kind of melted.”
3. Cohen and Cooper Went on Tour Together, Hosting a Live Show Called ‘AC2’
In 2016, the two embarked on a tour together, where they performed a live show for audiences across the country, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. During a 2019 interview with the outlet, Cohen explained that the show is “like going out to a bar with me and Anderson and us telling you everything we would never say in polite company — things you want to hear that would typically be off limits.”
And, it appears that their time together on tour only made the two of them closer. “We’ve gotten much closer since I’ve had the talk show and since we’ve been on tour together,” Cohen told USA Today in August 2019. “I mean we’ve been friends for 25 years. He’s just an incredibly loyal and caring and sensitive and great friend.”
4. Cohen and Cooper Have Birthdays Only One Day Apart
Maybe one of the reasons that Cohen and Cooper get along so well is because they are both Geminis! Cohen and Cooper’s birthdays are only one day apart, as Cohen was born on June 2, 1968, and Anderson was born on June 3, 1967. In 2021, the two even celebrated their birthdays together, which Cohen shared in an Instagram post.
“Gemini Twins: ACTIVATE!” Cohen wrote in the caption. “Happy Birthday to my friend, AC2 partner, and brilliant Daddy. Our lives are all better with you in them, Anderson. (Thanks to the Consuelos’ for the cakes; and to SJ, Liza, & Bruce for the surprise party!)”
5. Cohen Gets Excited to Ring in the New Year With Cooper
Last year, in 2020, Cohen appeared on Cooper’s CNN show, “Anderson Cooper Full Circle,” where he shared just how excited he was to ring in the new year with his friend.
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