The eldest of three
Benjamin Edwin Cohen was born on February 9, 1989, to Meredith Vieira and Richard M. Cohen. Known within the family as Ben, he is the eldest of their three children. His parents built prominent careers in broadcast journalism, but his own adult life has remained largely outside the public spotlight.
I find that difference central to his story. Benjamin grew up close to television without becoming widely known as a television personality himself. The family history offers several meaningful glimpses of his childhood and adulthood, especially through the changes that come with parenting, illness, and children leaving home.
Meredith Vieira and the choices around early motherhood
Meredith was already an experienced journalist when Benjamin was born. Her work on 60 Minutes soon brought the demands of national reporting into direct contact with the responsibilities of caring for a young child.
She initially worked a reduced schedule. When she later sought to continue that arrangement while expecting her second child, the program’s expectations changed, and her time there ended. The episode became a public example of the difficult choices facing a parent in a demanding profession.
I see Benjamin’s birth as an important point in that chronology, rather than an explanation for every decision his mother made. The conflict involved workplace requirements, travel, and family circumstances. It was larger than a simple choice between ambition and affection.
Meredith went on to become the original moderator of The View, host Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, and coanchor Today from 2006 to 2011. Those roles made her a familiar presence in millions of homes while she was also raising children in her own.
Richard Cohen as journalist and father
Benjamin’s father, Richard Merrill Cohen, was born on February 14, 1948. He worked as a broadcast journalist and producer and wrote books, including Blindsided, about the experience of living with illness.
Richard was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at 25. The condition affected his mobility and vision, and he also survived colon cancer. His family life unfolded alongside those health challenges for decades.
His role as a father was not confined to the physical activities that illness made difficult. Conversation, attention, and shared experiences remained important. He accompanied Benjamin on college visits despite mobility challenges, a detail I find especially revealing. The task was ordinary in purpose and demanding in execution: helping a son consider his next stage of life.
Childhood interests and the move toward independence
Benjamin studied Chinese for several years as a child or teenager. It is one of the few specific interests publicly associated with his early life. That detail gives him an identity beyond being the first child of two journalists, without establishing a later professional specialization.
Around 2007, he left for college. Meredith described the emotional difficulty of that transition, including the effort to manage her own sadness without placing it on him. The departure altered the household’s rhythm while giving Benjamin a more independent life.
I think the college transition is a useful hinge in this family portrait. Earlier decisions had concerned how to be present for a small child. Now the challenge was allowing that child to leave. The same parent could feel pride and loss at once.
His college institution, later qualifications, and detailed professional history are not publicly established in the available account. Claims connecting him to particular graduate programs or technology employers remain uncertain.
Gabe and Lily complete the sibling group
Gabriel Anthony Cohen, known as Gabe, was born in August 1991. He pursued journalism, working in local and national reporting before joining CNN in 2021. His career makes the family’s professional connection to news visible in a second generation.
Gabe’s work has included coverage of disasters, politics, and major events. That public career belongs to him, while Benjamin’s professional life has followed a less visible path. Sharing parents does not imply sharing a vocation.
Lily Max Cohen, born on November 25, 1993, is the youngest sibling and the family’s only daughter. She has appeared occasionally alongside her parents, although detailed information about her work remains limited. Meredith has described frequent contact with her adult children, including regular conversations with Lily.
The three siblings occupy different positions in the public eye. I see that variety as a natural feature of the family, rather than a puzzle that needs solving.
The heritage behind the household
On Meredith’s side, Benjamin has Portuguese American roots connected with the Azores. His maternal grandparents were physician Edwin Vieira and Mary Elsie Vieira. Their family was associated with Rhode Island, where Meredith was born and raised.
Richard’s family background was Jewish. His parents were Teresa and Benjamin Cohen, with the elder Benjamin working as a doctor. The grandson’s name therefore sits within a family tree that includes another Benjamin, alongside the Edwin name from his maternal side.
These connections add depth to a household often described primarily through broadcasting. Medicine, immigration, and different cultural backgrounds also belong to the family’s history. They provide context without determining how Benjamin personally understands every aspect of his heritage.
Family contact and the loss of Richard
During the pandemic period, the adult children remained in contact with their parents through calls and video conversations. That stage of family life had a different shape from the years when everyone lived under one roof, but communication continued across separate households.
In late 2024, the family gathered as Richard’s health worsened. He died on December 24, 2024, aged 76, following complications related to pneumonia. Meredith and their three children were with him during his final period of illness.
For Benjamin, the loss was the death of a father whose life combined professional achievement with decades of chronic illness. The public facts convey the family relationship and the timing. His personal grief remains his own.
FAQ
Who are Benjamin Edwin Cohen’s parents?
His parents are broadcaster Meredith Vieira and the late journalist, producer, and author Richard M. Cohen. They married in 1986 and had three children.
Does Benjamin work in journalism?
A journalism career for Benjamin is not publicly established. His younger brother Gabe is a journalist, while Benjamin’s own detailed professional background remains private.
Who are his siblings?
His siblings are Gabriel Anthony Cohen, born in 1991, and Lily Max Cohen, born in 1993. Benjamin, born in 1989, is the eldest.
Is Benjamin married?
A marriage or children are not confirmed in the available public account. His occasional appearance in family stories does not provide a complete record of his personal relationships.
Is his net worth known?
His individual net worth is not publicly established. His parents’ successful media careers do not disclose his own income, assets, or financial arrangements.
