Anderson Cooper is drowning in DMs, and honestly, who isn’t? The 57-year-old CNN anchor recently spilled the tea at a festival (because journalists don’t just report the news—they also casually overshare at public events). While discussing his podcast All There Is with Anderson Cooper, he revealed that he received 46 hours of phone calls for the first season. That’s nearly two full days of listening to strangers talk about their feelings—basically, he accidentally turned himself into a grief counselor.
“These calls are extraordinary,” Anderson said, probably wondering if this is what he signed up for when he became a serious journalist. “I’ve spent months of my life listening to these calls. There’s no kind of grief I haven’t heard of.” Which means if you’ve cried over losing a goldfish or accidentally deleting your favorite Netflix profile, he’s probably heard a story just like yours.
The Great DM Avalanche of Anderson Cooper’s Instagram
But wait—there’s more! Anderson also revealed that his Instagram DMs are a total disaster zone, with over 30,000 unread messages. That’s more notifications than a teenager’s group chat after one person leaves.
“I go through my Instagram at the end of every day,” he confessed, making it sound like a brave act of public service. “If it’s related to grief, I click on it and try to read it. I don’t necessarily open it, but I click on it.” (Translation: He’s using the sneaky “read without actually opening” technique that we all use when dodging messages from our relatives.)
He does try to respond, though—sometimes with a word, sometimes with a voice note, and probably sometimes with just a deep sigh into the void.
Anderson’s Unexpected Side Gig: Emotional Support Pen Pal
Shockingly, Anderson has actually built virtual friendships with some of his fans. “I’m in constant contact with a number of people,” he admitted. “I haven’t met them, but there are people I call every week who have sent me voicemails and could use somebody to talk to.”
So, if you ever feel ghosted by a friend, just remember: even Anderson Cooper has 30,000 unread messages. If he ever opens your DM, consider it the social media equivalent of winning the lottery.
