DCentric

Who knew “the husband” whom Elizabeth Gilbert messily divorced in “Eat, Pray, Love” is a (somewhat) local scholar and humanitarian who is too classy to say a word about the mega-hit book and merchandising coup of a movie? I didn’t, until I read Vox Populi, which describes his reaction to EPL:

Michael Cooper, however, has taken this all in stride. While ex-wife Elizabeth Gilbert spent a year traipsing around Italy, India, and Indonesia, he went on his own journey of self-reflection and came out a better man. (The film portrays Cooper falling apart in a storm of guilt and regret.)

After a messy divorce, Cooper intensified his efforts in humanitarian relief and human rights, embarking on a journey not unlike Gilbert’s through Kosovo, Mongolia, Iran, Iraq, and other developing nations. The difference? Cooper did more than eat, pray, and love. He gave aid to peoples displaced by natural disasters and armed conflict.

According to The Daily Beast, Cooper remarried (she’s a Canadian diplomat) and is the father of two little boys; he’s working as a Public Interest Law Scholar at Georgetown and while he was polite enough to return their call, he had no comment. Considering that response, it’s not surprising that Cooper backed away from a book deal, when he was asked to focus on Gilbert vs. how he moved on. Such restraint is admirable, and quite a contrast to blockbuster statements.