Andy Cohen Reacts To Sexual Harassment And Racism Claims From 'Real Housewives' Stars
Andy Cohen is breaking his silence on the numerous allegations against him and Bravo.
The executive producer of “The Real Housewives” franchise and host of “Watch What Happens Live” is facing accusations and lawsuits from several Bravo stars, but defended both the network and himself Wednesday in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“I know what the truth is and I know how I’ve conducted myself, and I walk tall every day on that,” Cohen told the outlet. “There are legions of fans who are passionately devoted to this brand. It’s a tonic that helps them get through the pains and obstacles in their lives.”
Some fans were surprised when the network opted to skip its annual BravoCon gathering this year, however, and wondered if Bravo and Cohen were hiding from bad press. Cohen told the Reporter it was merely a logistical challenge.
The initial claim arrived in October when Eboni K. Williams, the first Black star on “The Real Housewives of New York City,” told Vanity Fair she witnessed racism from a co-star in 2021. Cohen said Wednesday that he’s “no longer in charge of programming decisions there.”
“I’m proud of all the work that Bravo has put into making their shows more representative of the country’s demographics,” he added. “George Floyd was an important cultural shift that forced us all to look at all of our programming. Bravo made it a mandate to diversify.”
Further allegations arrived in February when fellow “New York City” alum Leah McSweeney sued Cohen as well as Bravo, claiming Cohen cultivated an environment where producers pressured her to drink alcohol and sabotaged her sobriety.
McSweeney also accused him of rampant cocaine use and giving the Bravo stars who joined him more screen time. His attorney responded in a letter obtained by ET that the claims are is “categorically false.” Cohen told THR on Wednesday that he “can’t talk about some of these things.”
“What I’ll say about the alcohol is that we have so many sober people and people who have gotten sober on the show,” he told THR, adding: “We don’t force anyone to do anything … no one is secretly hiding liquor bottles on set. That’s ridiculous.”
Cohen was also accused of sexual harassment this year by “Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum Brandi Glanville, who claimed he invited her to watch him have sex “with another Bravo star” via FaceTime. Cohen reacted at the time by stating he was “very clearly joking.”
The producer finally addressed “New York City” alum Bethenny Frankel’s push for “Housewives” stars to unionize, and told THR that many of her peers are “leveraging their exposure” from TV into “lucrative opportunities” without a union.
While constricted by his counsel from diving into details, Cohen told the outlet that “there’s not a lot of room for nuance these days.” He argued “sensitivities have changed over the years,” that “we are living in an outrage culture” and that “everyone has to adapt to that.”
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