Anderson Cooper is remembering his late mother. One year after Gloria Vanderbilt died following a cancer diagnosis, Cooper took to Instagram to pay tribute to her.
"She is alive in my heart and in the hearts of all who knew her and loved her," Cooper wrote alongside a photo of his mother, an artist, author, actress and fashion designer, sitting in front of an easel. "She had an extraordinary and indomitable spirit, grit, determination, passion, and vulnerability. She experienced great love and horrific tragedies, but she never lost her almost childlike optimism; her openness to the world around her."
Recommended Videos
"She chose to remain vulnerable. Others would have closed off their hearts, protected themselves," he continued. "My mom wanted to see and hear and feel everything... and that is exactly what she did. Bravo, Mom, Bravo."
Following Vanderbilt's death on June 17, 2019, CNN ran a seven minute-long obituary in her honor, which was narrated by Cooper.
"Gloria Vanderbilt died as she lived -- on her own terms. I know she hoped for a little more time, a few days or weeks at least. There were paintings she wanted to make, more books she wanted to read, more dreams to dream, but she was ready. She was ready to go," he said in part. "She spent a lot of time alone in her head during her life, but when the end came she was not alone. She was surrounded by beauty and by family and by friends."
"... Gloria Vanderbilt was 95 years old when she died," he added. "What an extraordinary life. What an extraordinary mom. And what an incredible woman."
After Vanderbilt's death Cooper welcomed his first child, a son named Wyatt Morgan Cooper. Though Vanderbilt will never meet her grandson, she did know about him prior to her death.
"I was able to tell her shortly before she died that I was going to have a baby," Cooper said on Live With Kelly and Ryan last month. "Wyatt hadn't even been created at that point, he wasn't a being at that point, but he was an idea in my head and I was in the process and she was thrilled."
When ET spoke with Vanderbilt in 2016, she revealed she was hoping for grandchildren.
"I just hope I'm still alive," she said at the time.
"Thanks for bringing this up. This is an ongoing issue," Cooper replied with a laugh. "Doesn't every mother want their kid to have [a kid]? Yes. I've heard this many times, believe me. The clock is ticking."
RELATED CONTENT:
Anderson Cooper Says He Told His Mom He Was Having a Baby Shortly Before She Died
Anderson Cooper's Late Mom Gloria Vanderbilt 'Of Course' Wanted Him to Have Kids
Gloria Vanderbilt's Will Has Anderson Cooper Getting Bulk of Fortune