Anderson Cooper's Emotional Breakdown: CNN Host Sobs While Discussing Death and Grief During Podcast Interview
Anderson Cooper let his emotions pour out in a discussion about death.
Nov. 24 2025, Published 3:30 p.m. ET
Anderson Cooper was moved to tears when speaking to a podcast guest who recently lost her spouse, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
On the newest episode of his All There Is Live, Cooper, 58, welcomed writer Megan Falley, whose comments caused the journalist to have an emotional breakdown.
Cooper Moved to Tears
Cooper became visibly moved by his guest's description of coping with her spouse's death.
Cooper told Falley how intrigued he was by how she uses the word "allegedly" when talking about the death of her spouse, poet Andrea Gibson, who passed away in July after a four-year battle with ovarian cancer.
"You use the word ‘allegedly’ when you talk about Andrea’s death, which I kind of love," the CNN host gushed.
Falley went on to explain, "It felt so weird to talk with such certainty, to say 'Andrea died' as if any of us know what that means. We actually don’t know what it means. I don’t think. I had felt so many, sort of, signs and communications that it felt, it just didn't feel right, and it still doesn't to say 'Andrea died' so I love saying that Andrea allegedly died."
She added: "To my limited understanding of a body and a spirit. Language is very important to me, so I feel like if something’s not quite right, I’m going to make whatever adjustments I need."
'We Have No Idea' What Death Means
Cooper launched his podcast to bring the topic of coping with grief out in the open.
Cooper then became visibly moved, removing his glasses and wiping tears from his eyes.
"I’m crying because what you said is so unique and, I think, true," he confessed. "Yeah, we have no idea what this means."
The 60 Minutes correspondent launched his All There Is Live podcast in late October to build a community with his guests as they discuss grief.
At the start of the podcast, before welcoming Falley, Peggy Lee's Is That All There Is? played as Cooper noted how he and his late mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, listened to the tune quite a bit in the weeks prior to her death at home in June 2019 at the age of 95.
Cooper Has Experienced Plenty of Loss
Cooper's beloved mom, Gloria Vanderbilt, died from stomach cancer at the age of 95.
Cooper's life has been touched by grief, including heartbreaking losses of his immediate family members.
His father, Wyatt, unexpectedly died during open-heart surgery when Anderson was only 10 years old.
The newsman's older brother, Carter, died by suicide at the age of 23 in July 1988, jumping from the balcony of their mother's 14th-story Manhattan apartment.
Over the years, Cooper has become more open about discussing his brother's death and how it impacted his life, as well as encouraging others to share their stories about coping with grief.
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Cooper Misses His Late Brother 'Every Day'
All of Cooper's immediate family members are dead.
In a 2005 essay, Cooper explained, "My brother is buried next to my dad. I like to think of them together."
He continued: "I used to think suicide was a conscious act. A plan made, then carried out. I know now it's not always like that. My brother was a sweet young man who wanted to be in control. In the end, he simply wasn't. None of us are. We all dangle from a very delicate thread. The key is not to let go."
In 2018, Cooper remembered his sibling on a very painful anniversary.
"30 years ago today, my brother, Carter Cooper, died by suicide. He was 23 years old. I miss him and think about him every day. The shock of his death is as painful today as it was thirty years ago," Cooper wrote in the caption of an Instagram post showing a childhood photo of the brothers.
He went on to add: "Thank you for all your comments, they are extraordinarily moving and meaningful to me. Thank you for sharing your own losses and experiences with me."
