CNN host Anderson Cooper has revealed that he’s gay, PEOPLE is reporting. The star of ‘Anderson Cooper: 360′ made the announcement in an open letter to his longtime friend Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Beast. “The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud,” Cooper wrote.
Cooper said he wanted to announce the news because “As long as a journalist shows fairness and honesty in his or her work, their private life shouldn’t matter.” The journalist, who also hosts the syndicated talk daytime show ‘Anderson,’ addressed the subject after Sullivan, an openly gay British writer, questioned him. The subject came up after Entertainment Weekly recently focused on how gay people in the public eye are currently coming out in understated ways
Cooper told Sullivan that “the issue you raise is one that I’ve thought about for years. Even though my job puts me in the public eye, I have tried to maintain some level of privacy in my life.”
Continuing his statement, Cooper said “It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have give some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something-something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true.”
Written by: Karen Benardello
