Why Bradley Cooper Still Lives With His Mother at 48

Caring for our parents in adulthood is not an easy task. Our jobs and family often get in the way; we can’t give them the attention they need, and they end up living in nursing homes. Bradley Cooper decided to do things differently. Despite being one of the most respected actors, with movies racking up more than $11 billion in earnings, he decided to move in with his mother to care for her.

Bradley’s father, Charles Cooper, worked as a stockbroker for Merrill Lynch, while his mother, Gloria, was a news anchor for an NBC affiliate in their hometown, Pennsylvania.

Bradley followed in his mother’s footsteps since high school when he started working at the Philadelphia Daily News. His mother introduced him to the world of show business, thinking he was talented enough to be one of the greatest actors in the world.

In 2011, after shooting The Hangover Part II, Bradley moved back to his parent’s house to be with his father, who had been fighting lung cancer for several years.

In 2016, reflecting on that moment, the actor said, “I was in a very fortunate position because I was able to put everything on hold in all aspects of my life and focus completely on taking care of him.” Describing that the whole process of caring for his father was “just overwhelming, incredibly stressful, complex and all-consuming,” he continued. “I can’t even imagine how much more difficult it is for patients and families who are less fortunate than I am and who can’t afford to pay for treatment and stay.”

However, his mother was instantly affected by the loss of Bradley’s father. She was devastated by her husband’s passing, and Bradley asked her to move into his home in Los Angeles, where she has lived ever since.

During a 2013 interview, he explained, “At this point, two years after my father’s death, this is where we are. My family is very close-knit, and my father’s death was brutal for all of us. It was an earthquake, and its aftershock has not stopped.”

Since then, Bradley has taken care of his mother. “We need each other. So here we are. But don’t get me wrong. It’s not without complications. It’s not like I live in the house, and she’s in the guest house. No. She’s in the next room.”

He added, “But here’s the thing: She’s a great woman. We can hang out, and she can take the consequences. If that weren’t the case, there would be no way.” His mom has lived with him ever since, along with his daughter Lea and their two dogs.

Over the years, Gloria has practically become a star in her own right by attending elite industry parties and star-studded award shows and premieres.

In 2014, she was photographed at a Golden Globes party with actor Leonardo DiCaprio and his mother, Irmelin Indenbirken.

Gloria became famous in early 2023 after delivering a hilarious performance during a Super Bowl ad.

At the beginning of the commercial, the announcer tells the audience, “To tell you about the amazing things about T-Mobile, we tried to do an ad with Bradley Cooper and his mom.” Wearing a bright pink company T-shirt, Bradley pretended to be a store employee and approached his mother, who plays the role of a customer.

Over the years, Gloria has supported her son in various ways, such as joining him at red-carpet events, award ceremonies, shows, and premieres. Bradley takes but also gives. During an interview, he told how he still takes care of his mother.

“I’m with my daughter, mother, and two dogs, and we don’t leave the house,” Bradley explained. “My mother is going to be 80 years old and has a colostomy bag, so I can’t let anyone in the house.”

So Bradley Cooper has kept the two most important women in his life, his mom and daughter, under his roof for years.

“I love having her,” he told a magazine shortly after they moved into their Los Angeles home together. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Some celebrities set a great example by caring for and paying tribute to their parents —for example, Leonardo DiCaprio, who still lives with his mother— or by taking their mothers to the red carpet or imitating their outfits at important events. Others recognize their mothers’ work, especially in cases where they were raised without a father figure. Others put aside their careers to prioritize their families.