Anderson Cooper is at the center of a tragedy this week, after Gawker reported that one of the guests scheduled for an upcoming episode of his show fell into a coma following a skateboarding accident—that one of Cooper's producers told him to film.
The victim was part of an episode focused on "the teenage mind," and as such, producers encouraged the boy to record "the crazy stuff you do." The morning that the boy was scheduled to arrive in New York to film his segment with Cooper, producers learned that he had suffered a severe head injury and slipped into a coma after a skateboarding accident he was filming for the show. "As part of our routine process, we ask guests for video footage and photos. We did not provide the family with a camera...We are very concerned about him and are thinking of him and his family at this time," the show's producers said in a statement.
"I was very saddened to hear the news of this accident and want to express my deepest concerns for the teenager who was injured," said Cooper. "I take this situation seriously, and my thoughts and prayers for his health, well-being and recovery are with him and his family." The show never aired, but it's certainly an unfortunate start to Cooper's run as a daytime host.
