Writer Joyce Carol Oates is facing backlash after accusing Anderson Cooper of erasing the surrogate from his son's birth announcement

• Last week, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced the birth of his son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper.
• In an emotional segment, Cooper told his audience that he named his son after his father, Wyatt Emory Cooper — and that he was "grateful" for everyone involved in his son's birth, especially the surrogate who carried and delivered Wyatt.
• The announcement was mostly met with love and well-wishes from fans, but author Joyce Carol Oates posted a tweet criticizing the coverage of Wyatt 's birth, writing that the surrogate had been excluded from the story.
• Oates immediately received backlash on Twitter and told Insider, "I was just somewhat curious about the surrogate mother."
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

On Thursday, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced some special news of his own: Days earlier, he welcomed a son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, via a surrogate.

In the emotional segment, Cooper revealed that he'd named his son after his father — and he hoped that he would be "as good a dad." The broadcast journalist added that his son is "sweet and soft and healthy."

Cooper suggested that the moment was particularly moving because he once thought that parenthood was out of reach.

"As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child," he said. "I'm grateful for all those who have paved the way, and for the doctors and nurses and everyone involved in my son's birth."

Cooper went on the thank the "remarkable" surrogate who, he said, "carried Wyatt, watched over him, lovingly, tenderly, and gave birth to him." He added that surrogacy was "an extraordinary blessing" and he was thankful for the support of his surrogate her family throughout the process.

The announcement was largely met with love and support from emotional fans, but Cooper did receive some criticism — notably one critical tweet from author Joyce Carol Oates, who wrote that the coverage focused "so exclusively on Anderson Cooper" that the surrogate was erased from the experience.

After congratulating the Anderon Cooper 360° anchor, Oates went on to say, "you'd think that somehow dear Anderson was both father & mother. (how strange for the mother who'd been pregnant for 9 months, delivered a baby, presented Anderson w/ the baby & is now -- gone)."

—Joyce Carol Oates (@JoyceCarolOates) May 2, 2020

The post received immediate backlash from followers.

One commenter pointed out that Cooper had, in fact, included a "lovely" tribute during the initial announcement.

Another called Oates' post "virulent and unnecessary."

Journalist and Twitter personality Yashar Ali called the author's criticisms "a terrible take."

"If you took a second to watch the video you're quote tweeting, you'd hear Anderson say all of this wonderful stuff about his surrogate and her family," he wrote. "But that's besides the point, a relationship with a surrogate is very private."

—Yashar Ali (@yashar) May 2, 2020

Oates seemed to clarify her position by retweeting several comments from followers, including ones criticizing her take, and one which quoted Cooper's comments about the surrogate.

—tina pittaway (@tinapittaway) May 2, 2020

—Oh No (@cloudscribbl) May 2, 2020

—Rudáh (em ) (@alexandrerudah) May 2, 2020

"I know Anderson personally, though not well, through my friendship with Gloria Vanderbilt," Oates told Insider. "I was just somewhat curious about the surrogate mother."

Oates has found herself at the center of Twitter controversies before; she's been accused of Islamophobia, discounting men who are victims of sexual assault, and making bizarre comparisons between animal euthanasia and Naziism.

Oates even spoke about her Twitter presence – and thoughts on the app's shortcomings — in a 2014 interview with Salon.

"I don't consider that I really said anything that I don't feel, and I think that sometimes the crowd is not necessarily correct," she told the outlet. "The sort of lynch mob mentality among some people on Twitter and they rush after somebody — they rush in this direction; they rush over here; they're kind of rushing around the landscape of the news — and this goes on a lot on Twitter."

Twitter debates aside, surrogacy proves to be a complicated issue to navigate the United States.

As Insider previously reported, there are no federal laws regarding surrogacy, so laws vary from state to state. Currently, 47 US states permit gestational surrogacy, the term referring to circumstance when a child isn't biologically related to the person who gives birth (known as the gestation carrier).

Parents pursuing surrogacy are faced with a complex process — from finding surrogate attorneys to surrogate brokers — and many seek out additional resources to assist with communication throughout the process.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Insider reported, recommends the use of independent mental health counselors in parent-surrogate relationships.

The ACOG's list of recommendations for families considering gestational surrogacy outlines the benefits that mental health counseling can provide for both prospective parents and surrogates.

"Mental health counselors can assist the intended parent(s) in anticipating issues surrounding disclosure of the pregnancy and the child's genetic lineage," the ACOG reports. "For gestational carriers, mental health counselors can assist in anticipating issues surrounding questions and concerns from family and community as well as potential attachment issues for the gestational carrier during pregnancy and after delivery."

Update: this piece has been updated to include a comment from Joyce Carol Oates.

Read more:

Anderson Cooper picked a name for his baby that's a special tribute to his late parents

Anderson Cooper opened up about having a baby: 'As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child'

Kim Kardashian says she used a 'surrogate therapist' before her daughter Chicago's birth. Here's what that could mean and why it's a common practice

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