The Strange Story Of Anderson Cooper's Long-Lost Brother Christopher Stokowski
Most of Anderson Cooper's audience knows that the broadcast journalist is a descendant of the Vanderbilt fortune through his late mother, Gloria Vanderbilt. Still, not many know about his estranged half-brother, Christopher Stokowski. The long-lost Vanderbilt sibling has stayed out of the public eye for years, and it seems that family turmoil from back in the day kept Stokowski away.
After divorcing her first husband, talent agent Pasquale DiCicco, Vanderbilt remarried music conductor Leopold Stokowski — who was notably 40 years older than her — in 1945. The couple welcomed two boys; Leopold Stanislaus "Stan" Stokowski and younger brother Christopher. Fun fact: There's a childhood photo of Stan and Christopher taken by famous writer-photographer Carl Van Vechten from 1958 in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (oh, the life of a Vanderbilt). The matriarch went on to divorce Leopold, remarry director Sidney Lumet, get divorced, then remarry Anderson's father, writer Wyatt Emory Cooper.
Anderson — who is 15 years younger than Christopher — has remained quiet regarding the circumstances that led his half-brother to distance himself from their family. However — someone once close to the family has alleged that an outside force was responsible for the estrangement.
A therapist reportedly put a wedge between Christopher Stokowski and his family
Christopher Stokowsi's ex-fiance, April Sandmeyer, shared her story with the Daily Mail in 2014, giving her account of why her former love stayed away from his family for so long. The socialite explained that Stokowski chose to live with his mother and half-brothers in New York City while trying to make it as a musician after graduating college. She remembered how little Cooper "adored" his older half-brother.
Sandmeyer and Stokowski dated and decided to get engaged in 1974, coinciding with a difficult period as Stokowski's father, Leopold Stokowski, fell ill, ultimately leading to his passing in 1977. In a tragic turn of events, Vanderbilt's fourth husband, Wyatt Emory Cooper, died just months after. Reportedly, it was in this vulnerable state that Vanderbilt's therapist, Dr. Zois, was able to swoop in and influence her and her children's lives. According to the publication, Vanderbilt spent her own money to buy flights and lavish gifts for Dr. Zois and his associates and was often in her home.
Sandmeyer alleged that Dr. Zois was "meddling" in her and Christopher's relationship, causing her to break off the engagement in 1978. Christopher then moved out of the Vanderbilt household in an effort to re-win Sandmeyer's heart, but his effort was futile. After she rejected him, a "former associate" told the publication that the heartbroken musician moved out of the city and lost contact with his family. "He just wanted to get away. It was all too much for him," the friend noted.
Anderson Cooper's reunion with his half-brother came before their mother's tragic death
After the release of Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt's 2016 documentary about their family, "Nothing Left Unsaid," audiences raised their eyebrows at the lack of mention of Vanderbilt's second child, Christopher Stokowski. The Daily Mail reported that after he left New York City, Stokowski moved around New England and continued to play music and make art under a pseudonym, not wanting to be recognized for his famous last name. His ex-fiance, April Sandmeyer, told Page Six in 2016 that she thought Vanderbilt left out Stokowski from the film because "she respects [Chris's] privacy" and "knows he doesn't want to be in the public eye."
But it seems the documentary's investigation into their family was a source of healing between the half-brothers, as Cooper confirmed to Page Six in 2016. "Yes, we did reconnect and reconcile after the film," he simply said. His uncle, Harry Cooper, also noted that Anderson and Stokowski met up many times after the film premiered. Their family has remained quiet regarding the musician ever since. When Vanderbilt died of stomach cancer in 2019, her will revealed that most of her estate was left to Cooper, one property for older brother Leopold "Stan" Stokowski, and nothing was left for Christopher.