"She lived a life full with incredible peaks and impossible obstacles."
Andy Cohen is paying tribute to his best friend's mom.
Following Gloria Vanderbilt's death on Monday, the 51-year-old Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen host used the Mazel portion of his show to remember the late mother of Anderson Cooper.
"It is time for my Mazel of the day. It goes to style icon, socialite, and mother to my dear friend, Anderson Cooper, Gloria Vanderbilt, who passed away at the age of 95 this morning," Cohen said. "Born to one of the most famous families in the country, and thrust into the spotlight at a young age, Gloria Vanderbilt made a name for herself, not just as a Vanderbilt, but as a painter, a writer, an actress and, of course, a fashion designer."
"She lived a life full with incredible peaks and impossible obstacles. Through it all she remained eternally optimistic with a wicked sense of humor," he continued. "I was so thrilled to have Gloria Vanderbilt on this show back in 2016 with Anderson. She was as captivating and radiant as ever."
Cohen went on to show clips from Vanderbilt's time on WWHL where she played a game of Plead the Fifth and revealed that Howard Hughes was a better lover than Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando. After Cooper teased his mom for her lack of cooking skills, he had some praise for her too.
"To realize now, at this stage in life, that my mom and I are incredibly similar, that I very much am her son, it's been a great blessing," he said.
Vanderbilt also spoke some words of wisdom, revealing how she managed she stay looking and feeling young.
"Very important to have an image of yourself that you maintain and belief in yourself. And don't get scared of, you know, getting old. And just kind of hang in there," she said. "And the best is yet to be. I still believe that."
"We are all sending Anderson all of our love as we honor a great, great woman tonight," Cohen said at the end of the tribute. "And may Gloria Vanderbilt rest in peace."
Earlier in the day, Cohen took to Instagram to remember Vanderbilt with a stunning black-and-white photo of the late fashion designer.
"Gloria Vanderbilt was an amazing woman who lived a life filled with incredible peaks and impossible obstacles. Through it all she remained eternally optimistic with a wicked sense of humor," he wrote. "In fact, Anderson’s iconic and infectious giggle comes from his mom. Sending Anderson all my love, and may she Rest In Peace."
Meanwhile, Kathy Griffin, who was a longtime friend to Cooper and Vanderbilt, also posted on social media in remembrance of the designer.
"I lost a friend today. The one and only Gloria Vanderbilt. I loved her so much. She let me call her 'Glo Vandi' and I would be so flattered when she would refer to me as her daughter," she wrote. "When we would have our alone time, we would sit on this sofa and talk for hours. No topic was ever off-limits and believe it or not I would even shut up for a while because, oh the life that woman lived."
"I’d always plan on wearing something ridiculous to get her to laugh from the moment she opened the door. She would invite me to a book event, where I know I would be surrounded with so many intellectuals, I would always get overdressed and try to learn a new big word for the occasion!" Griffin continued. "The dinner parties! I was so thrilled to be invited and spend more time with her. Often at these events I would be quite intimidated and Glo knew what to do. She would stop the conversation and say 'Kaaaathy, WHAT is going on with the Lohans?'"
"She would open up about her early life. The trauma she went through as a little girl & a grown woman. The ups, downs of her life. Her candor was extraordinary," she added. "I have no photos of those private conversations. 'Kathy, there’s always more and we’re never done.' I love you Glo?"
Cooper himself eulogized his beloved mom in a video tribute that aired on CNN following her death, where he revealed that she was diagnosed with advanced cancer earlier this month.
"Gloria Vanderbilt died as she lived: on her own terms. I know that she hoped for a little more time, a few days or weeks at least. There were paintings she wanted to make, more books she wanted to read, more dreams to dream. But, she was ready. She was ready to go," Cooper said in part. "She spent a lot of time alone in her head during her life, but when the end came, she was not alone. She was surrounded by beauty, and by family, and by friends."
"The last few weeks, every time I kissed her goodbye, I'd say, 'I love you, Mom.' She would look at me, and say, 'I love you, too. You know that,'" he continued. "And she was right. I did know that. I knew it from the moment I was born, and I'll know it for the rest of my life. And, in the end, what greater gift can a mother give to her son? Gloria Vanderbilt was 95 years old when she died. What an extraordinary life. What an extraordinary mom. What an incredible woman."
Watch the video below for more on the late designer.
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