STOP THE PRESSES! DID YOU KNOW THAT Anderson Cooper Reveals He's Gay 'I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself and proud,' CNN anchor says.

Anderson Cooper has finally publicly acknowledged the long-standing speculation about his sexuality by coming out of the closet as a gay man.

In a lengthy e-mail to Daily Beast political writer Andrew Sullivan, the CNN anchor and daytime talk-show host discusses his reluctance to directly address the issue until now and admits that he has long been open about his sexuality in his private life.

"Since I started as a reporter in war zones 20 years ago, I've often found myself in some very dangerous places. For my safety and the safety of those I work with, I try to blend in as much as possible, and prefer to stick to my job of telling other people's stories, and not my own," Cooper wrote. "Recently, however, I've begun to consider whether the unintended outcomes of maintaining my privacy outweigh personal and professional principle. It's become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something — something that makes me uncomfortable, ashamed or even afraid. This is distressing because it is simply not true.

"The fact is, I'm gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn't be any more happy, comfortable with myself and proud," he continuedPhoto: Jason LaVeris/Getty Images