Old Sue, Same Sue

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Decorator Sues Anderson Cooper News After 17-Foot Fall

By: Kara Gilmour
Published: Feb 13, 2010
Updated: May 10, 2010

Interior Decorator Killian O'Brien sues CNN news achor Anderson Cooper.
Anderson Cooper is never a victim of controversy, but a an interior designer is about to change that. The CNN anchor is being sued by Killian O'Brien after she fell through a hole inside his new home. Cooper is currently converting an old firehouse into a house.

O'Brien, 29, is suing Cooper and the company owned by downtown architect and residential real-estate developer Cary Tamarkin. She fell 17 feet through a hole that once accommodated a fire pole. Her lawyer, Neil Greenberg, said she's lucky to be alive.

"She's lucky she's alive... The hole should have been securely covered," Greenberg said. "The poles were removed. Somebody opened up the coverings before she got there."

Decorator Sues

A 17-foot fall can be fatal. The lawsuit calls O'Brien's injuries severe and permanent, but her lawyer declined to describe them in detail. The lawsuit, filed in November in state Supreme Court in Manhattan, seeks unspecified damages.

Cooper declined comment. Greenberg said he believed Cooper's lawyers were still investigating the matter. Cooper bought the firehouse in September for $4.3 million. Neighbors say he has been a regular visitor on the property ever since.

The CNN anchor hired Tamarkin to help with the interior design. She is known for modern residential restoration and construction. O'Brien has worked for several companies that specialize in upscale design.

The firehouse was in operation from 1906 until 2006. It's been vacant ever since. The New York Board of Fire Underwriters, which oversaw the fire patrol, held onto the building until it was sold to Cooper.

CNN Anchor's Rise To Fame

Anderson Cooper works as the primary anchor of his own news program on CNN. The program is normally broadcast live from a New York City studio. However, Cooper often broadcasts live on location for breaking news stories.

Cooper's media experience began early. As a baby, he was photographed by Diane Arbus for Harper's Bazaar. At the age of three, Cooper was a guest on The Tonight Show, appearing with his mother. From age 10 to 13, Cooper modeled with Ford Models for Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Macy's.

He graduated from The Dalton School in 1985. He continued his education at Yale University, where he resided in Trumbull College, and claimed membership in Manuscript Society. He studied both Political Science and International Relations and graduated in 1989.

In 1995, Cooper became a correspondent for ABC News, eventually rising to the position of co-anchor on its overnight World News Now program on September 21, 1999. In 2000, he switched career paths, taking a job as the host of ABC's reality show The Mole.

Weekend Prime-Time Anchor To Hosting His Own TV Show

In 2002, he became CNN's weekend prime-time anchor. Since 2002, he has hosted CNN's New Year's Eve special from Times Square. On September 8, 2003, he was made anchor of Anderson Cooper 360.