CNN Anchor Goes Public About His Brother's Suicide

[kskiska]

When art imitates life, it's not always funny, says CNN's Anderson Cooper.

"In TV and movies, people are always killing themselves by jumping off buildings. It's become the punch line to a joke. I don't watch it. I can't watch it."

Cooper's older brother, Carter, took his own life in 1988, at age 23. He leaped off the balcony of the family apartment in New York as their mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, watched in horror.

"I think about my brother every day," says Cooper, 36, who discusses the tragedy publicly for the first time in a first-person account in the current Details magazine. (He's a contributing editor.)

(snip)

Though he's glad he did it, writing of his pain hasn't made it disappear, Cooper says. He's loath to label it a healing experience.

"I really don't know what something cathartic feels like. If someone says 'closure' to me, I cringe. It doesn't have any meaning. Going into this piece, I didn't have any expectations."

more…
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/entertainment/columnists/gail_shister/6670980.htm

[roguevalley]

1. I wasn't aware that he was Gloria's son. She did a piece

once about it and it was so sad. What a terrible
thing. Suicide isn't cowardice, its just tragedy.

[coda]

2. Liked watching him on World News Tonight

When Anderson was co-anchor on World News Tonight, his mom came on one night for his birthday (30th ?), did the whole sheebang, cake, baby pics, stories about him. He was a little embarrassed, but it was actually all pretty good. Couldn't believe how good she looked.

Had heard about Brit Humes sons but hadn't heard about Cooper's brother.

[agingdem]

3. May 17

On May 17 my twin sister put a gun to head and quite literally blew her head off. There was nothing to identify. Though my sister was never whole, and her death by her own hand was not unexpected, the void she left is palpable.

[barbaraann]

4. I am so very sorry to hear that.

I hope that her soul can find peace somehow and I hope that you are able to find support to deal with her suicide. It's hard to convey sympathy is a discussion board post but I do understand how much it hurts.

Peace.

[kskiska]

5. So sorry

to hear of your loss, and hope you eventually find peace. I know a guy who, inspired by Hemingway, tried suicide as a teenager. He missed, but lost an eye and is physically disabled. How awful to have to live forever with the memory of that moment.

[MarianJack]

6. My Sister

My sister committed suicide in 2/96. It was a mixture of alcohol and pain killers. While the void never goes away, you eventually move on. I still miss her very badly and wonder how she would have gotten along with my wife, whom I met in '97 and my 3 year old son, whom we adopted in July of '00.

Please accept my sympathy and my prayers for you and for your sister's soul. I know how you feel from experience. I frequently remember a line from a late 60's play, "I Never Sang For My Father". The line is "..death ends a life, not a relationship".

Take care. My best wishes are with you.:hug: