Anderson Cooper cracked a warranted smile Tuesday when offered a “lumpy” birthday gift from fellow CNN reporter Donie O’Sullivan, who had just presented an interview segment with Mike Lindell — the MyPillow CEO currently on trial for defamation.
Lindell, who parroted baseless claims about the 2020 election being stolen from President Donald Trump, appeared in federal court Tuesday for calling former Dominion Voting Systems staffer Dr. Eric Coomer a “traitor to the United States” for his supposed role.
O’Sullivan reported live Tuesday from Denver, Colorado, to discuss the trial’s opening statements and played footage for Cooper of the CEO defending his pillows during a 2023 deposition after being asked about “lumpy pillow calls” from dissatisfied customers.
“No, they’re not lumpy pillows, that’s not what they call on, OK?” Lindell told the attorney at the time. “When you say ‘lumpy pillows,’ now you’re an asshole! You’re an asshole, you got that? You’re an asshole is what you are!”
O’Sullivan spoke with Lindell outside the courthouse as part of his report and noted during their interview that this might be the first trial where jurors, who were asked during jury selection if they owned a MyPillow, were “selected based on what pillow they slept on.”
When the prerecorded footage concluded, O’Sullivan cheekily offered Cooper one for his 58th birthday: “Anderson, I know today’s your birthday. We’re going to try to bring you back a MyPillow, but some people are saying they’re pretty lumpy.”
“Uh, I’m good, I’m good on the pillows,” Cooper replied with a grin. “Thank you, I appreciate it. [I’m good on] MyPillows, not my pillows. I’m good with what I got, thank you.”
Watch the moment below beginning at 4:40.
Dominion sued Lindell for defamation in 2021 for $1.3 billion in damages. The company accused him in the filing of causing “enormous harm” with a “viral disinformation campaign” to tarnish the firm with a baseless allegation that they were involved in election fraud.
Smartmatic, another voting equipment company, similarly sued Lindell for defamation in 2022. Coomer, who said he had to go into hiding as a result of Lindell’s actions, is seeking undisclosed damages.
“It upended my life and my career to this day, four and a half years later,” Coomer said during the trial, per the Denver Gazette.