Anderson Cooper shares when he realized he was gay: 'One of the great blessings of my life' - USA TODAY

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who came out publicly as gay in 2012, said he first knew "something was different" around the age of 6 or 7.

Anderson Cooper announced the birth of his first son.

Though he publicly came out almost 10 years ago, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper says he first knew "something was different" around the age of 6 or 7.

"I'm not sure I knew the word 'gay' at the time, but I realized something was up," Cooper said in a Q&A session Monday on CNN's "Full Circle," adding that he began to tell friends when he was in high school but still struggled through college with fully loving himself.

"I think being gay is one of the blessings of my life," Anderson Cooper said. (Photo: Getty)

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