Anderson Cooper’s Incredible New Year’s Message Leaves CNN Viewers Weeping

Anderson Cooper ended 2025 with a heartfelt message about grief. While hosting the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square, the beloved journalist and host spoke to attendees and viewers, ending the year with hope.

The video has been circulating on social media as many people register with his message. The holidays are always a time of reflection as those who lost loved ones grapple with trying to find a balance of celebration and honoring their memory.

Great message. Thank you @andersoncooper. pic.twitter.com/9tzF9MmE2c

— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) January 1, 2026

Cooper shared a personal story about dealing with heartbreaking loss, and encouraged all watching to feel their feelings and understand its light at the end of tunnel. He looked into the camera and said the following:

“I started volunteering to work on New Year’s Eve twenty something years ago because ever since I was a kid, I’ve regretted this night. And I think a lot of you may be out there watching it through different eyes than some of the people in this crowd. December 31, 1977 I watched this ball drop at home with my brother Carter. I was 10, my dad was in the hospital and we knew it was bad, but not how bad. I remember this night, all those years ago watching Dick Clark and all the shots of the crowd you’re seeing right now, all the merriments and the people together, and I’d never felt so alone. My dad died five nights later, and my brother 10 years after that. And I mention this tonight, because some of you watching, maybe a lot of you watching tonight, may see some of the crowd and the merriment and feel alone, even if there are others around you. Maybe someone you love is sick, or they’ve already crossed that mysterious threshold you know virtually nothing about and you want to see them, hear them, or feel them again. And maybe it’s your dad who’s died, or your sibling, or your mom, or your spouse, or your partner, or your child, or the absence of your beloved animal. Maybe it’s your job, your home, your health that’s gone. I just want you to know that in the midst of all of this, it’s not really real. What you are feeling is. And you are not the only one. You may feel alone tonight, but you are not alone…”

He then talked about individuals watching, giving specific examples of those dealing with grief and loss as their photos came across the screen. Cooper’s brother died by suicide at the age of 23. He’d long battled depression, and had recently begun therapy to address his mental health struggles. Cooper and their mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, spoke publicly about never feeling like they received the necessary closure from Carter’s passing. Gloria passed in 2019.