‘Girls’ actor Andrew Rannells confirms Anderson Cooper romance two decades after dating
Andrew Rannells disclosed on a podcast that he had a brief romantic involvement with Anderson Cooper about two decades ago. He explained that this personal experience inspired the storyline in the fifth season of HBO's "Girls" where his character dates a fictional TV host. Both men have since moved on, with Rannells in a long‑term partnership with Tuc Watkins and Cooper having dated Benjamin Maisani while co‑parenting two sons.
- ▪Andrew Rannells revealed he dated Anderson Cooper briefly when he was 25, roughly 20 years ago.
- ▪He said the "Girls" Season 5 plot featuring his character Elijah’s relationship with a TV host was based on that experience.
- ▪Rannells is now partnered with actor Tuc Watkins, while Cooper later dated Benjamin Maisani and co‑parents two children.
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| Original publisher | Page Six |
| Canonical URL | https://pagesix.com/2026/06/16/entertainment/girls-actor-andrew-rannells-confirms-anderson-cooper-romance-two-decades-after-dating/ |
| Publication time | Tue, 16 Jun 2026 12:46:02 -0400 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-06-16T16:50:14.273Z |
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TV ‘Girls’ actor Andrew Rannells confirms Anderson Cooper romance two decades after dating By Alexandra Bellusci Published June 16, 2026, 12:46 p.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add Page Six on Google Andrew Rannells confirmed he had a “very brief relationship” with Anderson Cooper over 20 years ago. The actor made the revelation during a recent episode of Daily Beast’s “Obsessed: The Podcast,” explaining his “Girls” character Elijah’s short-lived relationship with a fictional television host was based on his time with Cooper. “I told Lena [Dunham] and [co-creator] Jenni Konner a story about when I was 25 that I had dated Anderson Cooper, and I told them about the experience and what that was like,” Rannells said.
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