{"id":5732,"date":"2026-06-16T16:44:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T16:44:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/girls-actor-andrew-rannells-confirms-anderson-cooper-romance-two-decades-after-dating\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T16:44:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T16:44:21","slug":"girls-actor-andrew-rannells-confirms-anderson-cooper-romance-two-decades-after-dating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/girls-actor-andrew-rannells-confirms-anderson-cooper-romance-two-decades-after-dating\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Girls&#8217; actor Andrew Rannells confirms Anderson Cooper romance two decades after dating"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F3%2F2026%2F06%2F131160462-1.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Andrew Rannells confirmed he had a \u201cvery brief relationship\u201d with Anderson Cooper over 20 years ago.<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0actor made the revelation<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/13Wv8jpAAH8wOSwlaCerK3?si=80a34407859e4d96\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> during a recent episode of Daily Beast\u2019s \u201cObsessed: The Podcast,\u201d<\/a> explaining his \u201cGirls\u201d character Elijah\u2019s short-lived relationship with a fictional television host was based on his time with Cooper.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI told\u00a0Lena [Dunham]\u00a0and [co-creator]\u00a0Jenni Konner\u00a0a story about when I was 25 that I had dated Anderson Cooper, and I told them about the experience and what that was like,\u201d Rannells said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Andrew Rannells (pictured here in May) revealed that he and Anderson Cooper had \u201cvery brief relationship\u201d while he was in his 20s.  <span class=\"credit\">WireImage<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>The actor said that he based his \u201cGirls\u201d character, Elijah\u2019s Season 5 relationship with fictional TV host Dill Harcourt (played by Corey Stoll) on Cooper (pictured here in 2023). <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images for SiriusXM<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>It then became Elijah\u2019s storyline on Season 5 of the HBO series, which ran for six seasons from 2012 until 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Rannells, who is now 47, added that the co-creators thought it was a \u201cfun story.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During Season 5, Elijah and Dill Harcourt (Corey Stoll) had a dalliance before splitting over their age difference, with the latter confessing he wanted to date \u201csomeone less aimless.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>\u201cI told\u00a0Lena [Dunham]\u00a0and [co-creator]\u00a0Jenni Konner\u00a0a story about when I was 25 that I had dated Anderson Cooper, and I told them about the experience and what that was like,\u201d the \u201cBlack Monday\u201d star (pictured here earlier this month) explained about how the 2016 storyline came to be. <span class=\"credit\">MediaPunch \/ BACKGRID<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>When the season was airing, Stoll (pictured here on the show with Rannells) refused to confirm the rumors, while the \u201cBoys in the Band\u201d actor told Elle that Dill simply represents a grown-up relationship.  <span class=\"credit\">Apatow Productions\/Kobal \/ Shutterstock<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In 2016, when the season aired, Stoll <a href=\"https:\/\/www.queerty.com\/corey-stoll-on-getting-naked-with-andrew-rannells-on-girls-20160404\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told Queerty<\/a> that he \u201cdid not base this character on anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI won\u2019t comment on it,\u201d the actor said about rumors his character was inspired by Cooper, who is 12 years Rannells\u2019 senior. \u201cI was playing Dill Harcourt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cooper, now 59, <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2016\/04\/08\/anderson-cooper-talks-tragedy-sexuality-and-truman-capote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told\u00a0The Post<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2016\/04\/08\/anderson-cooper-talks-tragedy-sexuality-and-truman-capote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">,<\/a> at the time, \u201cI thought he was more of a [Bill]\u00a0O\u2019Reilly\u00a0character.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just met Lena Dunham at Sundance and she didn\u2019t mention anything to me, but I\u2019d be flattered,\u201c he mused. \u201cI\u2019m a friend of Andrew\u2019s. I should ask him.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>For his part, the journalist (pictured here) said he would be \u201cflattered\u201d if that were true. <span class=\"credit\">60 Minutes \/ CBS<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>The CNN star went on to date Benjamin Maisani (pictured here together in 2013) from 2014- 2019. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_19-0\">After Elijah and Dill\u2019s breakup, Rannells <a href=\"https:\/\/www.elle.com\/culture\/movies-tv\/interviews\/a35429\/andrew-rannells-girls-interview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said to Elle<\/a>, \u201cI think the general idea that he\u2019s this powerful, you know,\u00a0<em>adult<\/em>, is what\u2019s important.<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_21-0\">\u201cWe were in this very grown-up situation,\u201d he elaborated about the character. \u201cThat\u2019s what Dill represents.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The former flames, meanwhile, both moved on to other relationships after their fling.<\/p>\n<p>Rannells has been with Tuc Watkins since 2019 \u2014 a year after the two first met while co-starring in the Broadway show \u201cThe Boys in the Band.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For his part, Cooper\u00a0dated\u00a0Benjamin Maisani\u00a0from 2014 to 2019.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><figcaption>The exes (pictured here together in 2015) co-parent sons Wyatt and Sebastian.  <span class=\"credit\">Brad Barket<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Rannells has been with Tuc Watkins (pictured here together in 2025) since 2019. <span class=\"credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After their breakup, the pair decided to welcome sons\u00a0Wyatt, 6, and\u00a0Sebastian, 4, together and be co-parents.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, while on \u201cThe Howard Stern Show,\u201d Cooper explained his decision to enlist Maisani, 53, as a second dad.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf something happens to me or even if something doesn\u2019t happen to me, the more people love my son and are in his life, I\u2019m all for that,\u201d he shared. \u201cMy ex is a great guy and it\u2019s good to have two parents, if you can.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cooper \u2014 whose parents have since passed \u2014 added, \u201cI don\u2019t really have a family and so my friends become my family.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/06\/16\/entertainment\/girls-actor-andrew-rannells-confirms-anderson-cooper-romance-two-decades-after-dating\/\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Andrew Rannells confirmed he had a \u201cvery brief relationship\u201d with Anderson Cooper over 20 years<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5733,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/131160462-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5732"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5732\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}