What’s the Snark on Andy Cohen?

8 Jan 2026 · 1 h 36 min · 33 chapters

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In short

The Snarkbait hosts discuss Andy Cohen’s role as the face of Bravo, his career path from TV executive to on-camera talent, how he helped build the Real Housewives franchise, and controversies/lawsuit-style accusations (including whether Bravo protects him).

Guests

No guests are interviewed in the provided transcript. The episode is hosted by Christy and Sophie (with Henry Brooks mentioned as their business manager/partner off-mic).

Guest backgrounds (as mentioned)

Henry Brooks is described as their business manager. Christy and Sophie are co-hosts who met online and run Snarkbait; they reference prior podcast work and their Bravo/Reality TV fandom.

Key claims

Andy Cohen is portrayed as “indispensable” and synonymous with Bravo; Bravo’s success is argued to be heavily tied to him. The hosts claim he shaped the Housewives “franchise formula” by recognizing the value of ensemble personalities and escalating drama. They also argue his interview style is disarming and gets “juicy” answers, making him ideal for reunions. They note criticism that he may be softer on men than women and that he’s attracted to younger men.

Notable examples

Andy’s early interview with Susan Lucci; his “Behind the Gates” origin story for Housewives; rebranding Manhattan Moms into Real Housewives of New York City (2008) with archetype casting (Ramona, Luann, Jill, Bethenny, Alex/Simon). He hosted Watch What Happens Live starting in 2009 and declined Miss Universe 2013 in Russia over anti-LGBTQ laws.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

Tap a time to open that second in VO

Discussing Business and Balancing Tasks

2:56 to 6:32

Hosts share personal anecdotes about work dynamics and managing tasks.

“There's definitely a lot to say about Andrew.”

The Unique Dynamic of the Hosts

6:32 to 10:29

Exploration of the hosts' chemistry and their online meeting backstory.

“And I was like, Chrissy, the sun's going to go down.”

Andy Cohen's Influence on Bravo

10:29 to 14:00

Insights on Andy Cohen's impact on Bravo and potential successors.

“Which, speaking of Vicky Gumbelson, Shannon Medore, let's get into it, shall we?”

Andy Cohen's Background and Early Life

14:00 to 14:58

Learn about Andy Cohen's upbringing and his early influences in pop culture.

“But yeah, as for now, I think that he is just irreplaceable in my opinion.”

Andy’s College Years and Coming Out

14:58 to 15:44

Discover how Andy's college experience and coming out shaped his career.

“He wrote her fan letters after being obsessed with All My Children.”

Criticism of Andy's Jewish Identity

15:44 to 17:44

Explore the discussions around Andy's expression of his Jewish identity.

“He also wrote for the BU student newspaper.”

Andy’s Career Beginnings in Television

17:44 to 18:59

Learn about Andy's early career in television and his rise at CBS.

“Let's talk about his career because obviously he is such a freaking success story coming from, you know, this little Jewish kid in St.”

Transition to Bravo and Original Programming

18:59 to 19:28

Find out how Andy transitioned to Bravo and began developing original content.

“And he was responsible for developing content, finding new show concepts, scouting talent, giving notes on early cuts of episodes, et cetera, et cetera.”

The Impact of Early Bravo Shows

19:28 to 20:59

Discuss the key early Bravo shows that paved the way for reality TV success.

“reality program because I was there when it was Project Runway, Top Chef, Queer Eye, Millionaire Matchmaker.”

Andy’s Influence on Reality Television

20:59 to 22:30

Examine how Andy's work contributed to the success of shows like Queer Eye.

“Oh my god, I literally thought Cotto was just the name of the insurance company.”
Show all 33 chapters

The Birth of Real Housewives

29:45 to 34:21

Learn about the origins and evolution of the Real Housewives franchise.

“So let's get into the creation of Real Housewives.”

Casting and Cultural Impact

34:21 to 39:16

Explore how casting choices shaped the Real Housewives and its cultural significance.

“So she introduced them to Ramona, Luann, et cetera.”

Andy's Rise to Fame

39:16 to 42:05

Follow Andy Cohen's journey from behind-the-scenes to becoming a television star.

“snow snow ice queen vibes on Salt Lake City but I feel like a Minnesota oh yeah film filmed in the winter would be so good we need like an Eden Prairie Edina Minnesota Edina yes oh my god Oh my god, absolutely.”

The Art of Disarming Interviews

42:05 to 43:39

Learn how Andy Cohen's unique interview style fosters genuine connections.

“But I think he does a really good job of making guests feel comfortable.”

Andy's Career Journey and Impact

43:40 to 45:28

Explore Andy Cohen's rise in the TV industry and his influential roles.

“It really is an art form and he makes it look so effortless.”

Memoirs and Personal Insights

45:29 to 47:12

Discover the personal stories and insights in Andy Cohen's memoirs.

“So I think that's a common misconception about Andy is that he is like, so pulling the strings on every franchise.”

The Evolution of Andy Cohen's Career

47:13 to 48:51

Examine the various projects Andy Cohen has taken on over the years.

“we even met, but that's so Andy and that, that kind of broke the ice and they realized they were better off as friends.”

Criticism and Controversies Surrounding Andy

48:52 to 50:00

Discuss the criticisms Andy Cohen faces regarding his interview techniques.

“And in 2022, it was announced that a coming of age comedy series inspired by Andy Cohen's bestselling 2012 member, most talkative was in development, but so far, no news on if this is ever going to be a thing.”

Fatherhood and Personal Relationships

50:01 to 52:51

Learn about Andy Cohen's journey into fatherhood and his past relationships.

“This is not my personal opinion, but what people say about him is that he's maybe attracted to some of them.”

Rumors and Speculations about Andy Cohen

52:52 to 56:00

Explore the rumors and speculations surrounding Andy's personal life and relationships.

“you know we did research for this episode but he's never been married but he did have a couple public relationships, which to me weren't even like that public.”

Rumors and Speculations About Andy Cohen

56:00 to 58:00

Explore various rumors surrounding Andy Cohen's personal life and relationships.

“So that along with so many other rumors that I've heard, I definitely think there is some weight to this theory for sure.”

Andy Cohen's Criticism and Allegations

58:00 to 1:00:30

Discussion on criticisms regarding Andy Cohen's preferences and alleged behavior.

“So people speculate that, you know, does he give drugs and have sex with potentially underage guys?”

Kathy Griffin's Feud with Andy Cohen

1:00:30 to 1:03:00

Delve into the feud between Kathy Griffin and Andy Cohen and its implications.

“They let them like choose the questions and screen the question.”

Accusations and Responses

1:03:00 to 1:07:20

Examine Kathy's accusations against Andy Cohen and his subsequent denial.

“And apparently Joan Rivers, before she died, said that the only person she could see replacing her was Kathy Griffin.”

Andy Cohen's New Year's Eve Controversy

1:07:20 to 1:10:00

Discuss the controversy surrounding Andy Cohen's drunken New Year's Eve remarks.

“He tweeted, I am completely stunned by this story.”

Viral Moments and the CNN Drinking Ban

1:10:00 to 1:11:06

Discusses Andy Cohen's viral rant and subsequent CNN alcohol ban.

“He did an iconic Bill de Blasio rant, who was the mayor of New York City at the time.”

NeNe Leakes' Discrimination Lawsuit

1:11:06 to 1:14:16

Explores NeNe Leakes' discrimination lawsuit against Bravo and Andy Cohen.

“So let's talk about the NeNe Leakes discrimination lawsuit in 2022.”

NeNe's Relationship with Bravo

1:14:16 to 1:16:11

Analyzes the aftermath of NeNe Leakes' lawsuit and her potential return to Bravo.

“Like whether it was at the hands of Bravo and Andy or just people being wary of someone who filed a lawsuit against their former employer.”

Leah McSweeney's Lawsuit Against Bravo

1:18:46 to 1:24:01

Details Leah McSweeney’s lawsuit against Bravo and Andy Cohen.

“Venmo stash terms and exclusions apply at Venmo.me slash stash terms.”

The Controversy Surrounding Andy Cohen

1:24:01 to 1:26:20

Discussion on allegations against Andy Cohen regarding blackballing and lawsuits.

“24 current and former Bravo personalities to publicly call her a liar and cast doubt on her character.”

Brandy Glanville's Accusations

1:26:21 to 1:28:32

Exploration of Brandy Glanville's claims of sexual harassment against Andy Cohen.

“You know, her lawyers were like any boss who is clearly inebriated, encouraging their employee by FaceTime video to watch their boss have sex with another employee constitutes sexual harassment, plain and simple.”

Kenley Collins's Allegations

1:28:33 to 1:33:10

Discussion on Kenley Collins's serious accusations against Andy Cohen during Project Runway.

“But her lawyers slammed this apology as fake.”

Impact of Allegations on Bravo

1:33:11 to 1:35:35

Analyzing the implications of Andy Cohen's allegations on the Bravo network's future.

“any misdeeds that he does because he is so irreplaceable to them.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

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2:33Hi. Hey, Sophie. Hey, everybody. Welcome back to another episode of Snarkbait. I'm Christy. I'm Sophie and today we have a highly requested episode. We are covering Andy Cohen. I am so excited for this one. I feel like for a lot of the Bravo lovers out there, this is one of our Roman empires. There's definitely a lot to say about Andrew. Before we get into that, Christy, how you doing? You guys, I was just talking to Sophie off mic and if you guys follow us on Instagram at Stark Bay pod, Henry Brooks and I were talking shop last night. We were, you know, going over things in the business. We literally like cold called my CPA.

3:19We called the IRS and Sophie, the second she goes, Henry, Christy needs to talk to you. Henry comes up. She's like, well, that about does it for me. See you later. You guys, when I tell you it was, we had recorded dark energy Tuesday. It was a Friday night, mind you. Yeah. And Christy and Henry were talking for two hours, talking shop. They called the IRS. They called Christie's accountant. Uh, and I was doing whatever I could to avoid that conversation. I was like, Pam, I was like, my mother-in-law needs my help with dinner downstairs. I got to go. I was like, you guys got it under control. It was so funny.

3:56The second Harry walked in, Sophie goes, well, see you guys later. And she walks out and then I keep seeing her walk the halls, peeking her head in being like, what's going on? And we were on the phone with the IRS. I had the phone up to the mic so Henry could hear. And I hear Henry like go on mute. He's turning around to Sophie explaining to her, well, sounds good. See you later. I was like, okay then. Anyway, I got to set the table. So funny. And then I was like, I was texting Sophie and Henry like a couple things. Henry and I are going back and forth. Sophie, just whatever. You guys got it handled, right?

4:32They got it. They're talking about like what? Like we're talking about getting a business card. And Christy's like, I think we should get chased. And Henry's like, but the Amex perks. I'm like, whatever you guys say, whatever you say. And also like Christine Henry, we're talking about how the IRS has like amazing customer service and picked up the phone right away. I was like, that's because no one wants to fucking call the IRS there. Those customer service agents are sitting around waiting, waiting. Christy's the only one that calls them. Yep. So if you guys don't remember when we were at the West Hollywood edition, Sophie goes, hey, forgot my earplugs.

5:10I'm fucked. I need a razor. I need earplugs. I need an eye mask. I go, she goes, can we head over to CVS in a second? I go, dude, just call the front desk. She goes, oh. Yep. For every little thing, we were like, we need a steamer. We need like whatever it was. Christy would be on the phone before the word steamer would escape my lips. I was like, you're calling them again? Again? Again. That's her with the IRS. It's like, you're calling them again. Yes. no but the second we got off the phone I was like I looked at Henry I go that was easy he goes that was excellent customer service I was like it really was yeah Henry confirmed yeah like oh my god they were so nice they picked up right away I was like that's because no one calls them who is calling the IRS customer service like who goes out of their way on a Friday night no I know you guys yesterday was such a booked and busy and productive day it was productive good for Christy.

6:06Oh, I feel like I got so many things. I have a thing on my to do list checked out, checked off most of them. So, and here we are, there's nowhere else I would rather be. Sophie cracks me up. Like we, we really do balance each other out just my favorite thing. So we just like have so many, I feel like after like the, the two week break that we took over the holidays, like there obviously is a lot of housekeeping. There's a lot to do and catch up on and me being the type B ADHD girly I'm like oh I'll do it later Christy is like I'm doing this right now I was like okay just filled out the Google form there you you're doing it now oh I thought we were recording I was like right now she was like the sunlight's gonna stop if you get it you guys I don't have my I'm at my in-laws so I don't have my ring light and so uh I'm using like the sunlight and a lamp as my ring light.

6:59And I was like, Chrissy, the sun's going to go down. Like stop it with the little tasks. We can do them later. And for me, later is in like three weeks. Like it's already done. LinkedIn. Yeah, she's like, I'm just going to do it now. I'm like, now. If you guys follow us on social media, Sophie posted the funniest ins and outs of 2026. And we had a lot of good feedback. I think our community feels like they, you know, they found their community. They get us and we get you guys. For example, cottage cheese in for 2026. Out, buttery soft. You guys know how we feel about it. Out, the caption, last wedding before ours.

7:43I literally hate it. We like actually got a private DM from someone being like, thank you so much for calling that out. I think it's so rude when people use that caption. I'm like, yeah, thank you. Yeah. And she said, you know, I just had my wedding and no one even said it, but hearing those words are incredibly triggering. It's triggering. Yeah. Oh my God. Also, um, if you listened to DT this week, you know that both of us are recovering. I'm like still a little bit sick. Uh, so that's why I might sound a little, I don't know, off today. Christy's sisters in town, her brother-in-law, her niece, instead of spending time with her family, she was calling the IRS last night.

8:23spend time with your family christy what's going on in here oh looks like you guys got it under control see you later no like i wish we were exaggerating i kept seeing sophie said just pop in hey what are you talking about credit cards see you later no literally our group chat with the three of us i'm like yeah sure amex chase makes no difference to me you guys are like doing like your like excel spreadsheet with like the pros and cons and the points and the perks. I'm like, whatever you say, you let me know. Oh my God. I love it. So if he lets me do my thing, she lets me take creative control for like what I think is best, you know?

9:05Yeah. And this is why we work well. Yeah, exactly. Oh my God, I was talking about this. I can't remember. It was either my sister-in-law or someone that I was with over the holidays. And everyone is always so fascinated by like our story because it's not like we knew each other in real life. Yeah. We literally just knew each other from the internet and then we figured out that we have good chemistry. You know, there's a spark here. And then also that we just balance each other out so well in terms of like being business partners because Christy is back of house type A, I am front of house type B and it just works perfectly.

9:40Like we spread the load completely evenly and perfectly in such different ways. Yes. Yes. And it's like, yeah, we compliment one another perfectly. And it's so funny that you say people are always shocked when they're like, how did you meet your co-host? And I'm like, well, I didn't meet her prior to us starting the show. Now we're so close. We talk every single day. But people who aren't online, they're like, what do you mean you met her on the internet? That doesn't make sense to me. Wait. And people are like, oh, my God. Like, Christy wasn't even at Sophie's wedding. It's like we knew each other for five minutes when I got married.

10:11Now it's like my biggest regret that Christy wasn't there. But like maybe for my second wedding. It's so chic to be divorced. You know what I mean? Maybe for, and Henry's still like our business manager. Maybe. Maybe for your Val Reynolds. A la. But you know, sometimes that's always the kiss of death. Vicky Gumbelson or Shannon Medore. Vicky Gumbelson and Dawn. Which, speaking of Vicky Gumbelson, Shannon Medore, let's get into it, shall we? Let's please. So we all know who Andy Cohen is. He is the face of Bravo. I think he is indispensable. And we will walk through some of his scandals and lawsuits and things that he has been accused of.

10:53And I'm just going to say, I love Andy. I know that there have been some sticky situations. He's been accused of some unsavory things. From what I see on, you know, Watch What Happens Live, Housewives Reunions, I don't listen to radio Andy, but I know a lot of people do. And he always, you know, gives good behind the scenes info. he is like he is bravo bravo is andy like they are completely intrinsically intertwined so i can see why and we will talk about it why bravo may or may not cover up for him when it comes to some of his scandals and some of the things he's been accused of um what are your top line yeah i just thought of something chris harrison is the bachelor as andy cohen is to bravo and when chris harrison was ousted from the franchise, it felt like the series went downhill.

11:47And I don't think it's exclusively because of Chris Harrison leaving. There was a multitude of things that were happening in that franchise that caused it to go downhill. But what I'm meaning to say is, do you think if, you know, by an act of God, Andy Cohen was ousted from Bravo, do you think the shows under the Bravo network would continue to have such success? Because to your point, he really is synonymous with Bravo. He is Bravo. Bravo is Andy Cohen. Even though he may not have his hand in every single cookie jar, we think of Andy Cohen. So do you think like the success of Bravo is largely attributable to Andy Cohen?

12:18Would it survive without him? That's an interesting question. I think with The Bachelor and Chris Harrison, obviously he was replaced and the show went downhill for, I think, other reasons. I think Jesse Palmer, I actually prefer Jesse Palmer as a host. I think if, you know, something crazy happened and Andy left the network or retired or whatever it may be would bravo in the housewives franchise still exist without him probably uh i don't think that bravo wants that to happen anytime soon i think that his replacement would have to be like just the best replacement ever yeah because there are big shoes to fill i think you know i've seen like danny pellegrino thrown out there i've seen uh ben and ronnie i would like i'm huge fans You guys know we love Ben and Ronnie from Watch What Crappens.

13:12I think Ben and Ronnie would be amazing. I mean, I don't want to say replacements, but I could see them filling that role. I've heard like Z-Way. There are so many names that have been thrown around as, you know, when that time comes. Because Andy is, I mean, he's not like old, old. He's 57. But he can retire at any time and not have to work another day in his life. Oh, absolutely. At some point, he will want to retire. I'm sure he works really hard. I mean, he's doing radio Andy by day. Watch what happens live by night. He is just go, go, go all the time. Like he's up early every single morning.

13:49He's also a single dad. And obviously I know he has help, but yeah, he has a lot going on. So at some point I'm sure he will, and it'll be interesting to see what happens. But yeah, as for now, I think that he is just irreplaceable in my opinion. And I think the network realizes that. So as for Andy's background, he was born June 2nd, 1968 in St. Louis, Missouri. And him being a Gemini tracks. I didn't realize that he was a Gemini, but like that tracks for him. So he's 57 years old. His parents are Evelyn and Lou Cohen. They still live in Clayton, which is a suburb of St. Louis. His little sister is named Emily Rosenfield.

14:36and he grew up Jewish, like a lot of families in that area of St. Louis. It's a very Jewish area. And growing up, he had a love for pop culture and soap operas, which is funny because I feel like it's foreshadowing his creation of our modern day soap opera, Real Housewives. When he was a teen journalism student, he arranged his first celebrity interview with soap star Susan Lucci. He wrote her fan letters after being obsessed with All My Children. They had lunch and from there became lifelong friends. how cute is that so cute yeah i know his high school nickname was most talkative which ends up being the title of his uh future production company and one of his memoirs and it's so funny how like high school nicknames slash superlatives are often like foreshadowing uh i.e christy and i both being named biggest gossips at our high school i know that's so that was such a funny moment when we both realized we were both named that superlative.

15:34So funny. So he graduated high school in 86 and ended up going to Boston University with a BS and graduated with a BS in broadcast journalism. He also wrote for the BU student newspaper. And he came out as gay during his college years to family and friends. And his mother's immediate response was a joking sigh of relief that she probably would have hated your wife anyway. And also his mom, Evelyn, this spurred her to become involved in HIV AIDS charity work in the late eighties. So he had like a great support system. His family was very supportive. Um, and yeah, I have a question. So there was when I used to be a listener of the toast, Claudia and Jackie would always criticize Andy for never wanting to really share his Jewish heritage.

16:21I feel like he doesn't really talk about it. They're always like, I remember they would just be like, why does he always hide behind like being Jewish? He doesn't want to tell anyone he's Jewish. I'm like, I never get that vibe. Watch what happens. I've literally has a mazel of the day segment. Like it's very, he always has a menorah during the holidays. Like he is very, I know that those are very like, you know, whitewashed, uh, Jewish, uh, symbols, but I think that he generally is very, he's, he posts on social media. I mean, I followed him for forever on social media. He definitely posts about anti-Semitism and he gets backlash for it.

16:56Yeah. Right. He gets backlash for posting about anti-Semitism and he does it anyway. I think that he has been very open about, I mean, his name's Cohen. Right. Like I think that he has never once hid his, uh, Judaism or his love of Judaism. I've never gotten that vibe. That's really interesting. Like what do they want him to do? Yeah. They definitely held his feet to the fire. I remember this was years ago, but when I used to be a toaster, I remember them always criticizing him for it. I've never gotten that vibe. I've actually really appreciated how outwardly Jewish he is. Oh, okay. Well, maybe, yeah.

17:31Yeah. That's so interesting. I wonder what exactly they expect from him, for him to be doing the Shema, do a prayer on Watch What Happens Live. Obviously, he's not going to do that. I don't know. Very interesting. Let's talk about his career because obviously he is such a freaking success story coming from, you know, this little Jewish kid in St. Louis to being the biggest face in reality television today. So in the 90s, he interned at CBS News with fellow intern Julie Chen, actually. And he ended up spending a decade there, eventually becoming senior producer. He worked on shows like The Early Show, 48 Hours, CBS this morning.

18:12And he actually credits his time at 48 hours for teaching him how to quote unquote, let the reality tell the story and how to find the wink in a serious situation, which I think is really interesting. I love that show, by the way, that was my favorite show growing up. Oh, really? That's so funny. I don't think I ever watched it. Oh, I loved it. So in the year 2000, he went to cable entertainment, a production company called Trio or a production channel owned by Barry Diller. And he joined, this was under NBC Universal. And this is when he started developing original programming. So he ended up moving over to Bravo and became Bravo's VP of original programming.

18:57And so he was a high level exec at Bravo. And he was responsible for developing content, finding new show concepts, scouting talent, giving notes on early cuts of episodes, et cetera, et cetera. Obviously he ended up developing the Real Housewives franchise, which we will get to in just a moment, but he oversaw other shows like Project Runway. This was such a good era of Bravo TV pre-Housewives. I was destined to obviously love the Housewives and Vanderpump Rules and all of the other Bravo reality program because I was there when it was Project Runway, Top Chef, Queer Eye, Millionaire Matchmaker.

19:37Did you watch those shows? Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, I remember kind of dabbling that – dabbling in that show when it first came out. But honestly, my whole like entry point into Bravo wasn't until The Housewives and much later in my life. My mom and my sister were obsessed with Real Housewives. I feel like before it was even cool to be obsessed with it. I was a late bloomer. You're also from Orange County, which is obviously the ground zero for Real Housewives. Yes, yes. I feel like that would be like its own – like say, you know, you guys know I'm from Cincinnati originally. Real Housewives of Cincinnati, I'd be like, what do you mean?

20:20Like that would immediately spark my interest, I feel like. Yeah, I don't know why I wasn't into it, seeing as it was in my town. But I do remember having, like, random connections with Gina Keough's sons. Yeah. But where they ended up filming the first season and many seasons thereafter in Real Housewives was in this community in South Orange County called Cotto da Causa. And it's a very nice, like, upscale neighborhood. But when I think of, like, Orange County effluence and wealth, I think of Newport. So I was always fascinated by the fact that they chose Cotto in South Orange County versus Newport.

20:56Cotto Insurance? Yeah, Cotto Insurance. Wait, is Cotto like an area? Yeah, so it's actually – yes. Oh my god, I literally thought Cotto was just the name of the insurance company. No, no, no, no. It's an area in Orange County and it's kind of – Oh my god, that's so funny. Yeah, like I would say the difference between Newport, which is where you think of like selling the OC, it's heavy on like drinking and partying. It's almost kind of like a Palm Beach of California, whereas Cotto is more family-oriented, gated communities. And I think maybe that's why they decided to choose Cotto, because it had that gated community element, whereas Newport doesn't have that as much.

21:31Yeah, and that was a big part of it, was behind the gates. Yes. Where you take from behind the gates. Yes. So Queer Eye was already successful when Andy joined, but he became the executive in charge of the show, helping manage its peak. And he credits the OG Queer Eye. and this is a lot of this is from literally his own words from his multiple memoirs he credits the og queer eye for teaching him the quote-unquote bravo formula like curating an ensemble of personalities to housewives franchise so like i feel like the original queer eye similar similarly to the reboot of queer which i stopped watching since it came out that jbn is actually like a demon yes and there are a lot of like and same with like tan like I just got the ick after that expose of how they treated Bobby which we could probably do a whole episode on all of that drama um so I stopped watching I also was like okay that's enough like there were just so many seasons in a row I was like okay we get it but I loved the reboot and I loved the original um but they all had just these personalities that were so different but complemented each other so well which I think is just, that's the formula for a really successful Real Housewives franchise.

22:46And he sharpened, you know, hit shows like Project Runway and Top Chef, which later made them Emmy winners. Top Chef, incredible. Like one of the best reality competition shows out there. To this day, to this day, I don't keep up with Project Runway anymore. And I know that it's like moved around to different networks. It's back on Bravo, I believe. And it obviously has different judges and different hosts, but that OG Project Runway, I was obsessed with. Like Christian Siriano. It's so crazy how Christian Siriano, like, and same with Top Chef. I think the difference, like you guys know that we did our America's Next Top Model Tyra Banks episode, and there wasn't really one superstar that came out of that show, really.

23:27I mean, like Winnie Harlow, you could argue, like there were a few, but Top Chef and Project Runway created real Michelin star chefs chefs and real fashion designers. Right. Right. It is the most coveted, like, inaccessible type of show because it only selects, handpicks the greats. Truly talented people. Truly.

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29:55So let's get into the creation of Real Housewives. and I feel like this deserves its own episode but let's just go over some top line fun facts into how Andy created the empire that exists today so around 2004 Desperate Housewives was huge and you were a Desperate Housewives watcher right fucking love yeah show did you watch it I forget I watched the early seasons then I fell off at one point but I haven't rewatched in so long. And I feel like I've been like meaning to do a rewatch from the beginning because I think it's still on Netflix. Um, and Scott Dunlop, Scott Dunlop brought Andy Cohen, a video of his orange County neighbors.

30:42He was kind of an ad guy at the time. He had a big idea to bring desperate housewives to real life. Honestly, brilliant. And there was no, Andy said there was no better place for it in Orange County. The women were bored and rich. Their hair was big and blonde. Their boobs were bigger. One woman, Vicki Gunvalson, even had a grotto in her backyard. Playboy Mansion-esque. Total Playboy Mansion. Like her backyard underrated. Scott's idea was maybe a little less grounded in reality. We wanted it to be a docu-series about these women and their friendships. The original project was titled Behind the Gates.

31:17Early footage focused on the children and the families, but Andy realized the gold was in the wives and they're shifting friendships and lifestyle competition. And that's such a big part of housewives, right? Is keeping up with the Joneses. They're all trying to keep up with each other and compete with each other. And that's why so many of them end up getting indicted for fraud, whatever it is, just to keep up with the Joneses. And I have to give credit to Troy McGeady of Beyond the Blind. He brought up something in one of their pop culture kikis that I was like, oh, that's really interesting.

31:46He said, and I didn't watch the early seasons of OC. So this is what he told me or said on the show he's like the beginning of the show was more focused on like what um scott dunlap wanted he just wanted like women and their friendships and their every day-to-day like fabulous lives and it was actually tamra that brought it to the next level when it came to the cattiness and the fighting and airing out the dirty laundry as it pertained to gretchen rossi when naked wasted came out like that's when they realized oh the stakes are now higher We're bringing drama. We're bringing like tea, family dynamics, people angry and pissing off each other.

32:20Like this is where the money's at. And that's when the show formula kind of switched. That's actually such a good point. Yes. Because the first season of OC, if you guys recall or have done a rewatch recently, it was more like a documentary. There were no taglines yet. No like big group scenes. It was more of a study of the bored and rich. And it's so funny to see, to really think about how it's evolved. over the past 20 years. Now it's glam. You have the orchestrated group scenes. Like there was something so magical about those early seasons because they were so, they didn't know what this was yet.

32:54They weren't trying to create drama or pander to the audience. They really just were being themselves. And now obviously it's so different with social media and the fan reactions. I mean, the Bravo fan base is crazy and huge, but it was truly so different than what it has evolved into. And there was like an aha moment when Andy realized that he could replicate the show's formula in different cities. So Bravo was actually developing a show called Manhattan Moms. And Andy saw the footage and realized it fit the Real Houses of Orange County mold perfectly. He rebranded it as the Real Houses of New York City in 2008, establishing the Real Houses of X naming convention.

33:37I remember watching OC and New York in high school. New York is probably the best franchise of all the Real Housewives in its heyday. When it was like, I think the time when it was Bethany, Lou, Carol, Sonia Rita, like that was the best part of the Real Housewives franchise. I don't think anything could top like those seasons, season six, seven, eight of New York. Oh my God, iconic. I have chills. Yeah, iconic. So it was actually supposed to be a docuseries looking at the, I love the word docu-series they keep using because it's like we don't think about these shows as being docu-series at all.

34:15But again, it's like they were creating something completely new. They didn't know what this was yet. So it was supposed to be a docu-series looking at the competitive world of private schools and parenting in elite New York City. And casting actually found Jill Zarin. And she was the connector. So she introduced them to Ramona, Luann, et cetera. She was like the unofficial casting director who had these real-life friends who production realized were, you know, reality TV gold. But Andy also needed disruptors on the cast. Like, who was not in this group? Enter Bethany and Alex. Bethany was a runner-up on The Apprentice Martha Stewart, which I actually didn't know until research for this episode.

34:56And Andy knew she'd be kind of like the voice of the viewers because she was the underdog, you know? and she wasn't a mom or a wife, right? So like it was supposed to be real housewives, but Andy was like, no, we need her to be on the show. And Alex and Simon were found via a casting call, which is so on brand for them, representing awkward social climbers. While you're in Manhattan being mean, I'm in Brooklyn. What did she say to Jill? Trying to survive. Yeah, yeah. Trying to survive in this economy. While you're being a mean girl in high school, I'm in Brooklyn trying to survive in this economy.

35:32Yeah, yeah. Iconic. You come down here with your Herman Munster shoes. They're Louis Vuitton. Well, even Louis Vuitton makes mistakes. Iconic. Yeah, Iconic. So Andy soon realized the show was much more interesting than a show about parenting and rebranded it to what we know as Roni, Real Houses of New York City, a moment that made Housewives officially a franchise. And of course, his genius was in the casting of the archetypes, which he recognized right away. You had the Countess, Luann, the old money etiquette, the loudmouth, Ramona, the unfiltered one, the socialite, Jill, the queen bee slash connector, the hustler slash relatable underdog, Bethany, and the social climbers, Alex and Simon.

36:20Who were your favorite at this OG cast? Who was your fave? I remember actually being like yeah Bethany is the one that she was also the youngest so I feel like as someone in high school I was like yeah she's you know she's the young go getter she was the relatable one it's so funny also how Luann was like obsessed with etiquette and she's turned into the Luann we know today it's like so crazy I noticed your driver wasn't calling didn't call me Countess Luann he called me by my first name I find that very rude insane right and she's so classist yeah um so then came real housewives of atlanta next in 2008 which brought even more shade more humor even bigger personalities nini leaks and it showed how the franchise could really just you know cross-cultural lines and still work in all of these different cities.

37:17And this is a random fun fact. In the late 2000s, Andy Cohen tried to launch Real Housewives of Chicago. Well, love it. Would have loved that. Same. So they spent months casting and filming, but ultimately felt like the vibe was off. They scrapped the whole thing. And this was the only major US city Bravo fully developed, but then abandoned. And it really is the one US city that I feel like people are like, wait, you've done New York, Orange County, Beverly Hills, even Salt Lake City, Miami, all of the big major metropolitans. Where is Chicago? So I actually have read that they really haven't gotten to a Midwestern location yet for Real Housewives because Midwesterners are like too nice and it just doesn't work.

38:06Like they just don't bring the drama in the same way that the coastal elite do. and I think that tracks as someone from the Midwest honestly I'm like yeah like I feel like there probably is less drama with a bunch of Midwestern women um I don't know but I would absolutely love to see a Real Houses of Chicago or I don't know St. Louis there are plenty of really interesting uh Midwestern cities with bougie sublets and absolutely yeah I feel like Minnesota has a lot of bougie suburbs. Chicago for sure has so many bougie suburbs. I've always thought about this. I would love to have a Real Housewives of Silicon Valley following like tech wives.

38:46I think that would be fascinating. Oh my God, I would love that. I would love it. And I've always heard rumblings that they were casting for a Silicon Valley, but it's never really actually came into fruition. I think Real Housewives of Nashville would be really interesting too. And I actually would be most interested though in Silicon Valley or like a Chicago suburb type Real Housewives. Yeah. because there was Dallas obviously which um is now defunct but we do need like southern vibes somewhere and I think that when you say Minnesota like I feel like I know that we have like the icy snow snow ice queen vibes on Salt Lake City but I feel like a Minnesota oh yeah film filmed in the winter would be so good we need like an Eden Prairie Edina Minnesota Edina yes oh my god Oh my god, absolutely.

39:33Ask me how I know this. Like, I'm telling you, everyone I have ever worked with from Minnesota has always been… Not from Edina, like a couple of them, but genuinely the nicest people I've ever met. So nice. And also like Scandinavian. We talked about this when we did a Morgan Riddle episode on our Patreon. Yeah. She's from Minnesota. I'm like, she would be from Minnesota because she's like blonde and Scandinavian looking. Yes. Like, they just, they breed good looking and nice people. Yeah. Give us real houses of Edina. Honestly, yeah. Let us know, you guys, what is your dream Real Housewives of City that does not exist yet?

40:06Okay. So let's talk about Andy's transition from behind the scenes to talent. So around 2007, Andy's boss at the time, Lauren Zelaznik, encouraged him to write a behind the scenes blog called Andy's Blog on BravoTV.com. And people kind of got a sense of his personal voice and sense of humor. And it was so successful, it turned into a low budget web show filmed in a small corner of the Bravo offices. It was an online interview series on the Bravo blog, which is so funny to think about him. Like so scrappy. Yeah. So scrappy. Yeah. So in 2007, OC needed a host for its wrap up episode at the end of season two, AKA a reunion.

40:48He stepped in because he knew so much about the women and the show and the dynamics. And he had no prior experience as a host before this. And this is so crazy to think about, like a star was born. Yes. Yes. And in 2009, the little scrappy web show turned into live TV production called Watch What Happens Live. And, you know, his boss knew that he had this talent and interest in being on camera and he was good at it. So, yeah, the Watch What Happens Live format was born with cocktails, pop quizzes for guests, questions from viewers. I think what makes Watch What Happens Live special is that it really like it feels so casual.

41:33Like you really do feel like you're just hanging out in his clubhouse, like his basement. Like it's so casual. It's not as formal. I think also because the audience, I've never been to a Watch What Happens Live taping. But from what I've seen of the audience when, you know, it shows the view of the audience, it's really small. Like the live audience is small. It's intimate. It's cozy. Like it always just feels more casual. And I think he does a really good job of making the guests feel at ease. And maybe it is because he's offering them extracurriculars, allegedly, which we will get into in just a bit.

42:05But I think he does a really good job of making guests feel comfortable. And we know now that over the years, he's become really good friends with a lot of these. Remember when we talked about Alex Cooper? We talked about this recently on the Patreon, too. We're like Alex Cooper interviews all these celebrities and like never talks to them again. around her yeah andy cohen becomes best friends with these celebrities sarah jessica parker john mayer like there are so many uh a-listers that he counts as close friends yeah i was gonna say also there's something about his interview style that's very disarming and we talk about this a lot with alex cooper it's very much plug and play question answer question answer when andy cohen's interviewing and talking to you and i feel the same way about like zaylo or you think about um uh who like who are the most famous interviewers diane sawyer these people that jimmy you they disarm you they make you feel very vulnerable in a way that feels more like a conversation and a connection versus a question answer and yeah that's why you always want andy cohen hosting reunions or even reunions outside of bravo like keeping up with the kardashians like back in 2017 i think he hosted a reunion he hosted the uh not love is blind was it a love island reunion.

43:15People want him in the room because he disarms people and he gets the juicy shit out of people. Yes. And I mean, how many, you know, other reunions have we watched? For example, Secret Lives of Mormon Wives with Stassi or Nick Vile hosting. And we're like, we need Andy. Like he is so good at what he does. And he makes it look effortless when in fact, it is so hard to create that dynamic between so many people in the room. Like it's an art. Exactly. It really is an art form and he makes it look so effortless. So with the creation of Watch What Happens Live, he actually became the first openly gay man to host an American late night talk show.

43:50So breaking barriers. So now he had two full-time jobs, executive VP at the network during the day, late night host at night. And he was taking this unusual route to talk show hosting. In college, he wanted to be on television, but had no appetite for the small market career path of most aspiring Anchorman. So he was kind of paving his own path, literally. And in 2011, he eventually became the executive VP of development and talent at Bravo, which he held his position until 2013. Again, responsible for creating original content, finding talent and executive producing. And this was kind of like maybe a conflict of interest.

44:31There was a weird dynamic at this time. He was basically the housewives boss during the day, but their interrogator slash host during reunion. So he was like signing their checks and also asking them scandalous questions and like needing them to be honest with him. So he started doing other hosting gigs in the 2010s, um, like miss USA, 2011 and 2012. And he actually famously declined to host the 2013 miss universe pageant in Russia to protest anti-LGBTQ laws that they had there. In 2012, he released his first autobiographical memoir, Most Talkative. It was an instant New York Times bestseller.

45:14And it talked about his journey from being this kid in St. Louis to a TV exec. And in 2013 is when he officially stepped down from the corporate executive role to focus on his talent career. But he did stay executive producer of the Housewives franchises. So I think that's a common misconception about Andy is that he is like, so pulling the strings on every franchise. Like when we talk about casting decisions, everyone's like, well, but Andy likes this person or Andy would never fire this person or whatever it is. It's like, Andy is not, he's definitely part of these conversations, I'm sure, but he is not making all of these decisions himself.

45:48And it's funny because I feel like the Housewives still do kiss his ass to make sure that they stay in good graces, even though ultimately it is not him making these decisions. I remember when Tamara was booted from Real Hospice of Orange County before she boomeranged back. She said on a podcast interview, she was like, the second I found out I was fired, I called Andy immediately asking him what was going on. You know, and it's like, they go to him as this like know all, like omnipresent figure and bravo when in fact, it's like, he definitely has some say, but ultimately like he doesn't have that call.

46:19Totally, totally. So in 2014, he published a second memoir, the Andy Cohen Diaries, Deep Look at a Shallow Year. and apparently these books are really good. I haven't read any of them, but I know a lot of people who have and they come highly recommended. So now that I'm a Kindle girly, I think I'm going to download them. In 2015, he and Anderson Cooper launched AC2, an intimate evening with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, a live touring conversation show that has traveled to dozens of cities. And it's actually funny how Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper actually met. they were originally supposed to be like set up on a blind date, had a phone call and before the blind date and Andy apparently like was asking Anderson about the Vanderbilts in a way that was like gauche.

47:11It was like, Whoa, you're asking about my like famous wealthy family, like before we even met, but that's so Andy and that, that kind of broke the ice and they realized they were better off as friends. And I know a lot of people like ship them, but, uh, yeah, no, they're clearly just like best, best friends. I love Anderson Cooper, by the way. I know me too. I love both of them together. Yeah. So in 2015, he launched radio Andy, his own curated channel on serious XM satellite radio. Uh, in 2016, he partnered with publisher Henry Holton comedy to launch Andy Cohen books. And his first release under Andy Cohen books, his imprint was his diary memoir, superficial more adventures from the Andy Cohen diaries, another New York times bestseller, a sequel to his diary memoir spanning the next two years of his life.

47:58And the format was diary entries about celebrity interactions and producing reality TV. So it also had some insider tea in there for people interested. He did some hosting for a show called Love Connection in 2017 and 2018, which I did not watch, but it was a classic dating show back in the day. And it was kind of a reboot. He also launched most talkative productions in 2017, his production company. And starting in 2017, he hosted CNN's New Year's Eve live broadcast with Anderson Cooper, which is a favorite. A lot of people love their New Year's Eve special. And Christmas, what is it called? Dick Van Dyke.

48:40Dick Van Dyke's like New Year's Eve ball drop. Yep. Dick's ball drop dick's ball drop so uh in 2021 he released the book glitter every day 365 quotes from women i love inspired by his mother a collection of quotes from famous women for each day of the year i think that andy something i love about him is that he genuinely loves women yeah yeah like he does like he that's he created these shows around women he loves them he appreciates them uh and i know that, you know, there is a world where he could be accused of being a misogynist, like a lot of the men on Bravo, but I think he genuinely, from what I've seen, genuinely loves, um, women.

49:23And in 2022, it was announced that a coming of age comedy series inspired by Andy Cohen's bestselling 2012 member, most talkative was in development, but so far, no news on if this is ever going to be a thing. So I guess maybe that's dead in the water. And in 2023, he releases the daddy diaries the year I grew up and it is more personal diary entries focusing on his role as a dad in his fifties centers a lot on being the only single gay dad at his son's school alongside, you know, behind the scenes, Bravo drama, et cetera. And it was another New York times best cellar what are your thoughts on people criticizing him for always having problematic men's backs i think a lot of people give andy cohen shit for always giving the southern charm boys the benefit of the doubt always putting up to them always like never giving them like the hard-hitting questions for instance whenever there's a summer house reunion on the summer house side of things he never holds kyle's feet to the fire i sometimes do feel like he is harder on women than he is with men and people speculate and I kind of do believe this as well that he kind of wants to be part of the cool guys club like he wants to be part of Shep Austin and Craig's little thruple he wants to be friends with them above all else so he always gives them a bit of softball questions during reunions that's actually a really good point I think that that's criticism that he gets for sure is that when it comes to Craig Austin and Shep on Southern Charm or Kyle Carl West and Jesse on summer house that he wants to be in the group and is maybe, I don't know.

50:57This is not my personal opinion, but what people say about him is that he's maybe attracted to some of them. We will get into this, but he has been very open about being attracted to younger guys, which again is something that he gets a lot of criticism for. And yeah, so he, I think has a different relationship with those younger guys on the younger shows. shows and especially with summer house you remember like after the reunion he was out to dinner with west jesse kyle and carl emerald wasn't invited um which poor emerald justice for emerald but people thought it was really weird it's like you're like out to dinner with like west and jesse like these 20 something guys uh that was really odd i'm just gonna call it what it is that was super odd yeah yeah it doesn't really you do that with no from what i know you never see him after reunions going out to dinner with like anyone no uh at least from what we've seen on social media which i know doesn't tell the whole story but um who else oh yeah he definitely people accused him of like really having a soft spot for craig even though craig is like the worst you guys know we're blocked by craig we hate him he's the vote but he definitely seems to have a soft spot for some of the younger, good-looking guys.

52:10So take that with what you will. Let's get into his fatherhood and then his relationship. So in 2018, he announced he was expecting a child via surrogate on Watch What Happens Live. His son, Benjamin Alan Cohen, was born on February 4th, 2019 via surrogacy. And then in April 2022, he had his daughter, Lucy Eve Cohen, also via surrogacy. and ben often had playdates with anderson cooper's son who was also close in age and andy and anderson have that in common they're both uh fellow gay single dads so in terms of his relationship history which i feel like is such a mystery to me like i didn't even know like any of this until you know we did research for this episode but he's never been married but he did have a couple public relationships, which to me weren't even like that public.

53:06So he was in a relationship with John Hill for about three years in the 2000s. And he, John Hill's a Broadway actor and they just had like different careers and life paths, which caused them to split. And Andy says they actually made a bad sex tape and jokes that it's on some janky format. So Andy Cohen's sex tape might be floating out there. Who knows? And Hill ended up working as a producer on Watch What Happens Live and is now a close colleague of Andy's when it comes to Radio Andy. So they've remained close friends and colleagues. From 2015 to 2018, he was in a serious relationship with Clifton Dasunkow.

53:52I don't know how to pronounce this name, but he's an epidemiologist and toxicologist. And he's actually 20 years younger than Andy. When they dated, he was 28 while Andy was 47. He grew up in Queens, attended private school in Manhattan, went to MIT for undergrad and Harvard for a master's and PhD. So smart cookie. But in one of Andy's books, he nicknamed him the Brazilian Andy Samberg. And I looked him up and he really does look like Andy Sandberg. It's really funny. Andy Sandberg is so cute to me. Yeah, he's a cutie. So they kept their relationship pretty private, never posted on socials, was photographed together only once.

54:32But yeah, they confirmed they broke up in March 2018 and Andy was back on the dating apps. And of course, like we said, fans like to ship Andy and Anderson Cooper because they have such great chemistry, but they laugh it off and they deny anything romantic ever happening. Like we said they were originally supposed to be set up on a blind date, but realized they were better as friends. So yeah, I don't see anything romantic between them. I don't think that Anderson is Andy's type. Andy likes younger men. 100%. And I feel like if it would, it would have happened by now. Like they've been friends for so long.

55:08Yeah. They're just totally. Totally. There are always rumors about Andy and John Mayer. I 100 % believe those rumors, by the way. One million. I go back and forth like part of me part of me does part of me is like they are allowed to just be good friends like they they have great chemistry they have the same taste in music I just I don't know but the rumors have persisted for a really long time that they have had some sort of romantic or sexual fling allegedly but again that has never ever been confirmed I just remember um when John Mayer made out with Perez Hilton in like 2005. Like I think John Mayer, I'm not saying that makes him gay because he made out with Perez Hilton.

55:56What I'm saying is like, there's some fluidity there. He's a little bit more like sexually, you know, he's a little bit more open. So that along with so many other rumors that I've heard, I definitely think there is some weight to this theory for sure. What do you guys think? Let us know. There's also rumors that Andy may or may not have had a fling with Jax Taylor. People have speculated that Andy is the one that bailed Jax out of jail in when he stole sunglasses in Hawaii. I can never remember who's Hawaii or Mexico. Hawaii. People also think that Bethany, everyone always thinks that Bethany has something on Andy and people have speculated.

56:39This has never been confirmed that Bethany has a picture of Andy hooking up with a Bravo Liberty, which Andy has denied ever hooking up with a Bravo Liberty. But apparently that's, that's just a rumor that maybe there is some sort of dirt that Bethany has on him. That would be really bad for him. And maybe it's Jax Taylor. Uh, again, these are all unsubstantiated rumors and, um, people always do wonder what Bethany has on him. And something that people also speculate is that Andy, like we said, has been criticized for being into younger guys. He says that he likes younger twinks in his own words.

57:22And, you know, he has over the years, allegedly always had a posse of quote unquote, barely legal twinks that he keeps around him. And, you know, it's kind of an open secret that he travels around with them. And obviously this is all alleged, but, you know, we have stories of Bryan Singer and other Hollywood honchos who have gotten canceled for similar behavior. So this is like Hollywood show, but like this is not a crazy theory at all. This has happened so many times. I mean, I don't doubt this is real. Yeah. So people speculate that, you know, does he give drugs and have sex with potentially underage guys?

58:12Is that something that, you know, has to be kept under wraps? But other people are like, he is so candid about his drug use and his hookups. It would be kind of crazy to think that he is hiding anything that out there. Who knows? I don't know. What do you think? Yeah, I think when you have so much power, you start to really push boundaries because you know you can get away with so much. And I think that goes for every person that has had a taste of fame in their life. And when you're as powerful and as wealthy and as influential as Andy Cohen is, everyone in the Bravo franchise kisses his ass.

58:59I have no doubt that maybe he's had a thought to maybe take advantage of his position and, you know, lure some of these people in. Like, this is, again, so much dark. I'm not saying Andy Cohen is necessarily dark, but this has literally been happening since, like, old Hollywood days. Like, Judy Garland was fed Adderall when she was very young to make sure that she stayed thin and that she was awake during filming. Yes. This is a perpetual cycle in Hollywood, and this is not outside the realm of possibility. Yeah. Yeah, totally. Okay, so here's the blind item from Crazy Days and Nights It's from August 2018.

59:33Well, this is allegedly about Andy and Bethany. Well, now I know why this talk show host is always sticking up for this reality star and making sure others corroborate whatever she says that is controversial, even if it means taking a position 180 degrees from what they previously have said. Apparently, she has some information from almost a decade ago that makes him look absolutely awful and would have everyone turn on him in an instant. So whatever that may be. She would go there, too. She would? Yes. Oh, oh, my God. having Bethany Frankel have dirt on me, I would never sleep again. Oh, when I open always one, I open, I would, Oh my God.

1:00:09No, I can't even have someone like that. Bethany. Like that's like the last person you want to have dirt on you. Uh, but on call her daddy, when he did call her daddy with Alex Cooper in October, 2025, he was asked if he'd ever been romantically involved with a Bravo cast member and he definitively definitively said never and call her daddy. They let them like choose the questions and screen the question. So I don't know why he would allow that question in there if it was something he had done, you know, like they could easily just not ask that. You know what I mean? Yeah. I was also going to say maybe he did it so he could dispel the rumors right then and there knowing so well that he has had relations with his little coworkers.

1:00:52Yep, that's true. That's a good point. Okay, so let's get into some of his controversies and famous feuds. So first, his feud with Kathy Griffin. And in 2017, Kathy was fired from CNN's New Year's Eve show. Wait, first, did you watch her show, My Life on the D-List? Audrey was – my sister was obsessed with her. So was I. Read her book. She went – she did a signing of her book in Laguna Beach. Audrey went. Like, Audrey was obsessed. I never watched. I was obsessed with her too. I loved that show. Again, that was pre-Housewives. Yes. So in 2017, Kathy was fired from CNN's New Year's Eve show. And this was right after she did the controversial photo shoot with the bloody severed head of our president.

1:01:36And she'd been doing the show with Anderson for 10 years at that point. And once she was fired, Andy was her immediate replacement. And I mean, her show, My Life on the D-List, had such an iconic run. It won a primetime win. It won two primetime Emmys, which is crazy. And her boss was Andy for a significant amount of time. And leading up to the New Year's Eve show, Andy was asked about Kathy by TMZ, and he pretended he didn't know her. He did the Mariah Carey. Who? I don't know her. And she ended up calling him misogynistic. And she says, even when it's on tape, there are doubters. He is not kidding with Pabst.

1:02:22Was my boss. He claimed that he was joking. She says, he was my boss for 10 years, treated me like a dog. He's deeply misogynistic. And then Kathy also called Anderson spineless when he did not come to her defense over the firing. I actually do think Kathy Griffin was fucked after this because you don't really hear much about her. Yeah. She was huge in like 2007, 2008. Yeah. She almost was like the Andy Cohen, who Andy Cohen is now. Yeah. And it seems like she was kind of blacklisted after this happened. Like, what has she done since then? I don't really know. She kind of was. I remember when she briefly was appointed to replace Joan Rivers on Fashion Police.

1:03:04And I loved Fashion Police. And apparently Joan Rivers, before she died, said that the only person she could see replacing her was Kathy Griffin. And so Kathy Griffin briefly took the helm. And it just wasn't the same because Kathy Griffin was never like a fashionista. she's funny but she was never like a fashion icon like joan rivers was uh so kathy posted a 17 minute youtube video shortly after andy's comments and she was mad you know she sat down with her notes and she was ready to fucking raise hell she claimed that andy offered her cocaine before watch what happens live appearances she said both times i did the show right before we went live, Andy privately asked me in an office if I wanted to do blow.

1:03:53I've never had a drink in my life, which is surprising actually. I didn't know that she was kind of a teetotaler. Yeah. You guys know I'm no prude, but I'm kind of like a straight edge. I thought he was kidding the first time. I was hoping he was kidding the second time I did the show. Same thing. So once again, we're alone in an office and he's like, want to do some Coke? And I'm thinking, he's serious. Trust me. He's going to say he's kidding and everything. No, he was asking me to do cocaine with him. That made me very uncomfortable. See, I a hundred percent believe this. Oh, are you kidding?

1:04:19Of course this happened. Give me a break. This is like a normal Tuesday in finance. Like, come on. And I think Andy made the mistake of asking the wrong person. But I think he asked his guests, the ones that he's like, she's cool. It'll be fine. Like, she's cool. Like, she wants to do blood. Like, I'm sure with many housewives. Also, like, let's be real here. They filmed the show at, it's usually 10 PM Eastern time. Yeah. Like, like these people have to be tired. I'm sorry. yeah and I feel like why would she pull this out of her ass this is such a specific story and she knows the platform that Andy has she wouldn't just pull this out of her ass exactly and this would be like tantamount to slander or libel or whatever uh yeah I mean I'm like slander libel whatever it's called yeah I mean it could it could be yeah no literally like she went out and said it She accused him of doing this thing.

1:05:15She also said that he was a miserable boss while her show was on Bravo was airing. And she said, I didn't know when they ended the D-list. I desperately want to do a talk show. Andy Cohen would be the first television executive in the history of television to give himself a talk show, which seems to get picked up every season, which is true. Watch What Happens Live is not known for having great ratings at all. I don't think it makes Bravo any money. It is expensive to produce. it I mean not like super expensive from what I've heard it's expensive to produce it airs every single night you have a whole cast and crew uh you have a whole set and uh it gets some some episodes get like a hundred thousand live viewers so but it gets picked up every single season because it's Andy and Andy is you know he gets what he wants yeah uh and she alleged that Andy was trying to make himself the face of Bravo at her expense because she claims that she was the face of Bravo before Andy, which I don't know if I entirely agree with that.

1:06:14Like my life on the D list was a cultural phenomenon, but so was project runway and Heidi Klum. So was top chef and Tom Colicchio. Uh, like there were so many people that you could argue were on the similar, on the same level. Oh my God. Workout with Jackie Warner. Love that show. Jackie Warner. I can't believe Jackie Warner has like, I don't, I don't know if she's like done anything controversial or problematic. I haven't kept up with her, but like she was like everywhere during this time too. It's like saying Lauren Conrad is the face of MTV at the height of the Hills. Like yeah, the Hills was one of the biggest shows on that network, but there were many other shows as well on that network.

1:06:54Lauren Conrad wasn't the queen of MTV. Totally. MTV, right? Was it MTV? Yeah, it was MTV. The Hills, yeah. Did you hear that MTV is RIP? Yeah. That's actually like so crazy to me. Yeah, I can't compute that. Yeah, I think I'm still in like a denial phase. I know. It's like really like weird. Like that was our childhood. Right. Okay, so Andy immediately denied these accusations after this explosive video. He tweeted, I am completely stunned by this story. It is 100 % false and totally made up. Have said many times, it's not my thing. I'm a pot guy. Listen to my Howard interviews. I am very specific.

1:07:36So his response is, I don't even do coke. I smoke pot. Also, you wouldn't openly – unless you're – well, if you guys know, we did a Travis Barker, Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian episode on the Patreon, patreon.com slash snarkbaitpod. Travis Barker's memoir was one of the juiciest celebrity memoirs I've ever read. I feel like unless you're Travis Barker and admitting that you've done like so many pills and coke and all this stuff, like you're not openly saying that on Howard Stern. Yeah, totally. We all know you guys, everyone's doing it, but no one's like openly admitting that. Yeah. Because like, why would you openly admit that?

1:08:12Yeah. Like everyone, it's, it's the best kept secret in Hollywood. Like cocaine, everyone does cocaine and cheese is expensive. Like that meme. Everyone does it, but no one's out here saying this, you know? Yeah, exactly. So that's not a, that's not a good excuse, Andy. Yeah. And he claimed that his like, I don't know her was all a joke. That's what really set her off. He was like, I thought it was funny. and I just wanted to not be involved and blah, blah, blah. And Kathy continued to slam Andy in interviews and he kind of has ignored her. But Kathy came back in a standup routine just this year saying that Andy never apologized.

1:08:53He kind of did a sorry, not sorry. The tenor was sort of civil. And she noted that Andy is a powerful guy and explained that she didn't really need to be in any more beefs publicly. But again, claimed that he never really apologized, was never genuine. And the beef, you know, the feud between them, it never really got resolved. Okay. As for a big nothing burger, which is his New Year's Eve drunken rant on New Year's Eve 2021, aka going into 2022, he co-hosted the special with Anderson and he appeared super drunk on air, which you could argue is unprofessional. all um but he made fun of the competing abc new year show hosted by ryan seacrest and called them ryan seacrest group of losers that was kind of funny i know like how funny is that and that's like all in good fun come on they're both like gazillion hours they're both so wealthy they're just poking fun it's like it's like low stakes humor i thought it was funny it was exactly it was so low stakes he said he made a comment if you're watching abc tonight you've seen nothing Ryan Seacrest group of losers performing behind us, like slurring his words.

1:09:59It's so funny. He did an iconic Bill de Blasio rant, who was the mayor of New York City at the time. The only thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on is what a horrible mayor he's been. Yeah, that's funny. Like, it's funny. It was true. He was a horrible mayor. His outburst went viral and Andy half apologized the next day saying he was being stupid and drunk and said he actually liked Ryan Seacrest. But CNN was very mad. and for the 2022 new year's eve show they banned on-air drinking and andy was pissed about that he said people want to see me and me and uh may people want to see me make anderson giggle and they love to see him do shots yeah that's that's the shit i want to see on new year's eve i don't want to see this like sterile hello and welcome it's true it's new year's eve yeah it's new year's eve like it's all about getting drunk duh right uh and the ban was set around the same around the time that Chris licked was the CNN chairman and CEO.

1:10:56He was fired after 13 months in the position. So after that, they reversed the alcohol ban and he's allowed to get drunk again. Hallelujah.

1:11:05Okay. So let's talk about the NeNe Leakes discrimination lawsuit in 2022. NeNe Leakes was one of the biggest, if we're going to talk about faces of Bravo, she was the face of Bravo for a long time. She was so, one of the most successful people to come out of Bravo. No, Mount Rushmore's, it's her. Yes. It's like Vanderpump, Bethany, who else? Oh my God. Don't ask me on the spot. Vicky? Vicky, yeah. It has to be OGs. People would say like Teresa maybe. Teresa too, yeah. Who's on your guys' Real Houses Mount Rushmore? It has to be OGs, right? Like I actually wouldn't put Kyle Richards because Kyle Richards is so boring and overrated yeah but i think lisa vanderpump yeah uh okay so yeah she nini ended up doing broadway she was on glee she was actually great in glee like she was everywhere for a period of time she ended up filing this discrimination lawsuit against andy bravo and nbc universal in april 2022 alleging they fostered a racist and hostile work environment she ended up voluntarily dismissing the lawsuit without prejudice a few months later in August as the parties reached a private settlement agreement, aka they heavily paid her off.

1:12:23She claims she endured years of racially insensitive and stereotypical comments from her white co-star, Kim Zolciak. She alleged that when she complained to executives about the behavior, no meaningful action was taken against Zolciak. And in some cases, Zolciak was rewarded with a spinoff show, Don't Be Tardy, if you recall, which I've always hated Kim Zolciak. I've always gotten nefarious vibes from her. I think she's a horrible human being. She alleged that Kim used the N-word in other racist remarks targeting black cast members. And Nini claimed her complaints led to her being forced off the Real Houses of Atlanta in 2020 before its 13th season, which she alleged violated federal employment and anti-discrimination lawsuits or laws.

1:13:07excuse me in a separate 2020 twitter rant nini called andy a racist and claimed he abused her for years and stopped her from working because she was a threat to his career uh nini's twitter bio said at the time black blacklisted for telling the truth and not wanting to be abused anymore receipts her legal team stated that the alleged racism was tolerated by bravo executive producer Andy Cohen and other executives. And Andy was named specifically in the suit as the mascot in chief and key decision maker. And a representative for Andy called the claims against him completely false. And she ended up again, withdrawing slash dismissing the case after settling.

1:13:48So again, I think we can all assume she was paid off a healthy amount. And the case never went to trial. All parties agreed to a joint stipulation of dismissal without prejudice, which means the case was concluded, but NeNe reserved the right to refile in the future if necessary. Terms of the settlement were never disclosed. And since the lawsuit's dismissal, NeNe has said that she felt blacklisted from the entertainment industry as a result of speaking out, a claim that Bravo and Andy have denied. But this does feel true. Like whether it was at the hands of Bravo and Andy or just people being wary of someone who filed a lawsuit against their former employer.

1:14:26I think it could be either, but she did seem to fall off for a few years, right? Like we said, she was on Broadway. She was on Glee. She had acting gigs. She was super successful and then kind of wasn't. But I think also that can be attributed to her just not being on Bravo anymore, which keeps people relevant. Yeah. And I think with racial discrimination, cases against employers, it's super hard, I think for more often than not, the employer will just end up paying the victim out because it's going to be drawn out. It's really, I don't know, it's get really testy. And I feel like this is probably a lot more common than people realize in employer employee relationships and HR deals all the time.

1:15:05I'm not saying these claims are incorrect. She probably did face a lot of discrimination and name calling from her co-host and network doing nothing about it. I have no doubt that yeah totally totally i'm glad she got her back and got out of there though yeah completely so uh recently nanny has indicated her relationship with the network has improved and she stated she'd be open to returning to the network if they could work through a few things apparently she is have you heard about this new ultimate girls trip road trip edition no but it's for OGs. Love that. Okay. Yeah. So from what I've heard, it is going to be a bunch of OGs that are going to be the core cast on this bus or whatever it is.

1:15:51I'm picturing the road rules bus. Like if you ever watch road rules, uh, doing a cross country road trip to the real housewife cities and meeting up with other housewives across the country. And apparently Nene is going to be in the core cast, which I think will be really fun. Okay, so this was just the beginning of some housewives lawsuits. Next, let's talk about Leah McSweeney's. Snarkbait is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible, financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home, and more.

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1:18:51The reality reckoning. The reality reckoning. What were your thoughts on Leah McSweeney when she was on Roni? Okay, so I watched the first season of the Roni, excuse me, the first season of Leah McSweeney coming on the scene. And I remember thinking this season sucks. Like I know that she was a fan favorite. I never really understood why. I didn't find her very fascinating. I didn't like her. I didn't hate her. I was just like, she just kind of there. I was very confused when the audience reaction to Leah's freshman season was so positive because I was like, am I missing something? Her second season, I feel like she, from what I recall, she was blaming production for pushing her to drink, even though she was famously sober for a period of time.

1:19:30She said that I think the show pushed her to basically relapse and into her alcoholism. Again, I don't know. I always felt that reality reckoning never stood well with the Bravo audience. I think the Bravo audience is very – they rally against Andy. They rally against the franchise because they have the most insane audience, including you and I. Like we are crazy. And I think that we acknowledge that we're crazy and we go behind the shows like their own child. I feel like when Leah stood up against Bravo, she opened a can of worms and no one was willing to stand behind her. I think it would have helped – totally.

1:20:05I think it would have helped if Leah was more likable in her second season. I think she I think part of it was that she she had an amazing debut season unprecedented I felt like everyone was obsessed yes I remember everyone loved her and Andy said that it was probably one of the best debuts of a housewife ever all of the fans loved her she was so popular and then maybe that got to her head and in her second season she was insufferable she was sanctimonious and people didn't like her anymore and I think that that was probably just a shock to her system and really unsettling for her. And I think I'm not doubting what she has said here.

1:20:44I think that she also wanted someone to blame and she took it out on blamed production. So in February, 2024, she filed this lawsuit against Andy and Bravo for allegedly harassing, discriminating and retaliating against her as a woman with disabilities, such as alcohol use disorder and various mental health disorders, all in the name of selling drama. And her disability is included, like she said, an alcohol use disorder. And she said that cast members were, including her, were pressured to consume alcohol and other drugs and that they did not have a safe environment to accommodate her disability of alcohol use disorder and instead exploited her sobriety and mental health issues for drama.

1:21:27And she alleges that Andy used cocaine with cast members, a claim his legal team calls categorically false and defamatory. This is now two times now where people are publicly calling him out for using cocaine with his employees and he continues to deny it my first thought was that like and maybe leah said this at one point i don't know why this is my first thought that like i think maybe she was mad that he didn't invite her to do coke originally with like i think that he would ask his favorites to do coke with him of course yes i i believe that i think it was like a favoritism thing that also bugged her yeah i don't know that's just like my own theory but bravo conducted an internal investigation and decided in march 2025 that the claims were unsubstantiated after interviews with cast and crew and again i think it's safe to assume when bravo does a quote-unquote internal investigation that they are always going to side with andy because of course is their money maker of course they would never find andy responsible for all this i mark my words they are doing their their job is to protect the network and that means protecting their most prized position.

1:22:34That is Andy Cohen. They know exactly what happened. This is, yeah. They're just trying to save their ass. So Leah claims she faced retaliation for raising concerns and that claim was allowed to proceed by a judge, which was actually unprecedented. The judge ruled that three of McSweeney's claims could move forward. A hostile workplace environment claim regarding her substance abuse disorder and mental illness. a reasonable accommodation claim in retaliation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ten additional claims regarding the same issues were dismissed with individual producers as defendants, but can still be pursued against the corporate defendants.

1:23:13And 20 claims alleging sex and religious discrimination were dismissed entirely. And again, this is unprecedented because this is the first time in the contemporary era of Bravo that a legal claim from a former Bravo star against the network was litigated in a public hearing. And the first time a judge has issued an order that a case could proceed. Andy filed to dismiss the suit, saying the claims were threadbare and violating First Amendment rights, but a judge denied dismissing. And he accused Leah of seeking tabloid attention and leverage for a settlement. And in May 2025, Leah filed an amended lawsuit against Andy, specifically accusing him of orchestrating a coordinated campaign to discredit her.

1:23:56Her claims include that he abused his power to direct or induce an army of approximately 24 current and former Bravo personalities to publicly call her a liar and cast doubt on her character. So that's what we're saying about this internal investigation. She's claiming that Andy orchestrated everyone to side with him and call Leah a liar, even if it was true. Among other things, she says that he caused reputational damage and the loss of sponsorships and career opportunities, effectively blackballing her from the industry. And my question with that is like, is it Andy blackballing you or is it yourself blackballing yourself?

1:24:33Because a lot of companies and brands won't want to work with someone who files a lawsuit against an ex-employer. Like, is it the chicken or the egg, you know? Yeah. And I have trouble with this a little bit. Like, I'm not downplaying anyone's disabilities or addictions or mental health disorders. Like, that's all real. but there comes a time when you as an adult have to take a little bit of autonomy over your physical and mental health and if you see yourself slipping into environments that could be potentially triggering or threaten your sobriety or your recovery you need to do your best to get yourself out of that situation like you yeah at that point it's like you're not a child with no autonomy like you have a brain your frontal lobe has been developed make the decision to walk away don't blame it on other people I don't know I just don't like people that always have to put blame on other people for decisions that ultimately they are they themselves are the only ones responsible for yeah yeah that's a good point yeah that's a good point because you you could argue that leah if she felt like this environment wasn't conducive to her sobriety could remove herself absolutely like yeah but i think maybe her argument would be well this is my income i need to work here i need to make money uh I don't know response to that would be uh this sounds really callous but you know knew what you were signing up for you're on real fucking New York that is the most alcohol-fueled franchise the most alcohol-fueled franchise in the entire network like give me a break you know when you're hanging out with Sonia Luann and Ramona what you are getting so you have to take a little bit of self-reflection and autonomy for yourself.

1:26:10Exactly. I mean, yeah, the lawsuit is still ongoing with some parts dismissed, but the big claims regarding retaliation are moving forward. So the legal ballot battle is going to get more complex moving forward. So TBD on what happens with that. And in the same month, Brandy Glanville called for Andy to be fired because he allegedly propositioned her for sex with another Bravo star, accusing him of sexually harassing her in 2022 saying via her lawyers that in a video sent by mr cohen to miss glanville in 2022 mr cohen appearing obviously inebriated boasted of his intention to sleep with another bravo star that night while thinking of her invited her to watch via facetime wasn't it about like some of one of the southern charm boys am i making i honestly have no idea i might have just made that up i apologize i don't know if that is substantiated at all but for some reason i'm picturing her being propositioned by Andy with a Southern Charm boy could be wrong.

1:27:07Yeah. So who knows? You know, her lawyers were like any boss who is clearly inebriated, encouraging their employee by FaceTime video to watch their boss have sex with another employee constitutes sexual harassment, plain and simple. Why is Andy Cohen getting a pass? Any other supervisor who engaged in this behavior would be fired immediately. And Andy responded on social media writing. The video shows Kate Chastain and I Kate Chastain from below deck and traders fame. And I very clearly joking to Brandy. It was absolutely meant in jest. And Brandy's response clearly communicated. She was in on the joke that said it was totally inappropriate.

1:27:44And I apologize, which I think is a decent response. I also wonder if Brandy knew it was joke and is like, I want the payout that NeNe Leakes got. They know that NeNe Leakes got a substantial payout. So I wonder if that crossed her mind. But I also know that Brandy has been very troubled for quite some time. Yeah. I was going to say context. I don't doubt he did this. Obviously, he did do it. He's admitting it. Yeah, he admitted it. But we have to talk about Brandy's history. She's very erratic. At times can be an unreliable narrator. Yeah. I don't know. Brandi's tough for me because she's said and done very problematic things that have very much not aged well.

1:28:31Yeah, she is definitely not a reliable narrator, like you said. But her lawyers slammed this apology as fake. It's no excuse to say that this was a joke. NBC has mistakenly given Andy too much power across their network. He is a man hosting reunions across several cities in the franchise, producing and starring in his own show to promote these vehicles, hosting a juggernaut conference monetizing the bravo sphere on the backs of women and is the capo running this reality machine nbc has clearly decided that he is too big to fail and something to think about something to think about i mean i think they hit it on the head though brandy's lawyer slayed but that is exactly what is happening though they hate that fail yes they ate that like whether he did that or not they're not wrong about him being too big to fail about him you know like when you put it that way like him building this juggernaut of reality TV on the backs of women.

1:29:25Like they're not wrong about that. And yeah, like he probably has been given too much power. They also, the lawyers compared him to Matt Lauer and they accused NBC of covering up his scandals to protect him. So that is quite the accusation. And a month prior, mind you, Caroline Manzo sued Bravo over alleged sexual misconduct involving on the last season of ultimate girls trip in Morocco. And which also was going to have a speak of the devil, Alex, uh, what's her name? Alex from Rony season one, Brooklyn. Why can I it's Simon van Kempen? Yes. Alex van Kempen. Yes. Wait, that doesn't sound right.

1:30:09Is that really, does she have Alex McCord, Alex McCord? Oh, you're right. I forgot. They have, different last names. Yeah. Okay. So the whole thing, Brandy against Andy slash Bravo is on pause because her lawyers dropped her. So that's that on that. Lastly, let's get into Kenley Collins, who I actually do remember vaguely from Project Runway season five, which aired in 2008. she accused Andy of inappropriate behavior during Project Runway's run on Bravo. And he was an executive producer on the show from 2004 to 2008. And she actually posted a series of videos on Instagram claiming that Andy was more of a predator on set than Harvey Weinstein.

1:30:59What? So you have Matt Lauer comparisons. Now Harvey Weinstein comparisons, like that's the severe. That's not good. That's, that's not good. So she alleged that Andy would target and mind you, this Kenley, she did not file any sort of lawsuit. I don't think that she was looking for a payday. Uh, she just spoke about this on social media and she alleged that Andy would target. I don't know what exactly spurred her to come out with this. Uh, but she alleged that Andy would target young gay male contestants, calling them quote unquote twinks and propositions designers for threesomes during production.

1:31:36She said, do you guys really think Harvey Weinstein was the worst one on set? Andy Cohen was. Whoa, this is scathing. And I think to compare him to Harvey Weinstein, like this is kind of reminding me of like James Charles a little bit. Yeah, it's not good. Really young, young guys, even if they were of age, just the fact that he has been very open about preferring young guys is like we would question a straight guy nick file like we question any straight guy that only is interested in young women yeah you know so it shouldn't be any different um the weinstein company by the way produced the early seasons of project runway while i was on bravo which i totally forgot about um she said andy was a disgusting horrible worst predator with the gays hopping around the set like hey twinks she said we called him the gay Weinstein acting like a fucking clown on set and Andy never commented on these allegations probably not wanting to draw attention to them because she's not some huge bravo lebrity she has a following of about 60k on Instagram but she was she hasn't been on the network in almost 20 years um she never pursued legal action just posted her claims on Instagram and she alleged that NBC has paid substantial amounts of money to cover up Andy's actions and protect him from legal repercussions.

1:32:55And like I've said this entire episode, I 1000 % believe this. Not saying that I believe the Harvey Weinstein comparisons necessarily. I mean, I don't not believe them, but I think that NBC does whatever they can to protect him and cover up any misdeeds that he does because he is so irreplaceable to them. Bravo will suffer without him when he eventually retires, like we said, and he's their face. And like we said, like when we were talking at the top of the episode about Chris Harrison, like, yeah, I think Bravo could survive, uh, with a replacement, but with the ratings go down, would people be asking for Andy back at reunions?

1:33:40Would his replacement do as good of a job as him? Probably not. No, right. No, I completely agree. And Andy Cohen is tied to money. like the network needs to protect their cash cow their golden boy that is andy cohen regardless of whatever allegations are being slung his way they're gonna do their best to just like push it down or throw money at the problem because they they can't they actually cannot afford to lose him yeah oh and i didn't even mention the fact that he has a gorgeous not only a gorgeous hampton's home but a gorgeous excuse me a gorgeous west village townhouse um he is i mean it's no surprise He's set for life via Bravo.

1:34:20And he actually is like people see him in the West Village all the time. And speaking of his being outwardly Jewish, he actually lit the West Village menorah publicly in on one of the nights of Hanukkah. I can't remember which one. So a lot of people were there, took pictures of him, took pictures with him. Anyway, that's just a sidebar. NBC and Andy have denied all wrongdoing here. and an independent investigation found that both Leah McSweeney's and Brandi Glanville's claims were unsubstantiated. But insiders say the growing pile of accusations is a major concern for Bravo. It's no longer about one lawsuit, says a network source.

1:35:02It's about whether Andy Cohen is now more of a liability than an asset. Something to think about. Wow. That is like, that puts chills up my spine because if there is a dare I say reality reckoning against Andy Cohen the way in which we consume Bravo we talk about Bravo the entire landscape would change yeah like like you said who would host the conversations that will be had all over the internet on Reddit on Instagram like it would be earth shattering I think it would community it would it would be absolutely earth shattering and we're diehards we're still diehards for this network like yeah that's why bravo con can exist after year after year after year because they will show up and show out and spend a shit ton of money so if andy cohen is let go it's like we feel like we've lost our ceo yeah exactly so let us know what you guys think do you think that andy is replaceable do you think that he is on par with Matt Lauer, Harvey Weinstein, like some of these accusers have claimed, uh, let us know.

1:36:09And yeah, that about wraps up our Andy Cohen episode. Uh, I think in terms of like final closing thoughts, I'm like, what are they? That's the thing. It's like, what, what would they do? Like, Like what would Bravo ever actually see him as more of a liability than an asset? I don't think so. But is he? Like, I don't know, you guys. It's a tough one because he really is so indispensable. And Bravo realizes that. And I don't know. I do believe that Bravo has covered up some of his misdeeds, whether it's actually sexual harassment like Kenley Collins claimed or offering coke to watch what happens live's guests.

1:36:53racial discrimination racial discrimination the list goes on it's like just about everything you could think of that is actually pretty crazy that there's been multiple people under the network now that have accused you of various different things and a couple other people are backing up these other cast members claims like yeah and more likely than not happened but they're going to do whatever they can to protect them and that is that's on being the face of the network for 20 years now. Okay, guys. Well, thank you so much for being here. Like we said, we did a fun Patreon episode. Well, fun. It's an enlightening Patreon episode on Travis Barker's memoir yesterday, patreon.com slash snarkbait pod.

1:37:35Don't forget we're going on tour in 2026. We're so excited. We have the link to purchase tickets below. We're going to New York, LA, and Chicago. We hope to see you there. And, uh, what else, you know, where to find us on Instagram at snark great pod. I'm at so funderscore Ross. Christie's at Christie Noel underscore underscore, uh, leave us a five star rating and review. If you enjoyed this episode, pretty pleased. And yeah, we're excited for 2026. We love you guys. See you guys next one. Next time. Bye. Bye.

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1:40:37Or shop now at poshmark.com slash SNARK and get$10 off your first purchase. That's P-O-S-H-M-A-R-K dot com slash SNARK. The UPS Store is making packing and shipping Easter gifts quicker than ever this year with UPS Air. How quick? Quicker than a walk around the park. Quicker than eating all the Easter candies. Quicker than finding a golden egg that you know is stuffed with cash. When you ship UPS Air at the UPS store. Your items arrive on time or your money back guaranteed at no extra cost exclusively at the UPS store, U S retail locations, send Easter joy on time at the UPS store, visit the UPS store.com slash air guarantee for full details.

1:41:16Terms and conditions apply. Do you love rom-coms? Do you wish you could talk about Christmas movies year round? Then we have the perfect podcast for you. Hallmarkies podcast throughout the year. We cover all things, romance holiday and hallmark including recaps of every hallmark show like when calls the heart and the way home you can also get loads of bonus content covering shows like bridgerton sweet magnolias and and just like that we are an all-female group of friends who are passionate for these shows and movies and give our honest opinions as well as gush over what we love so much but that's not all every monday there are interviews with all your favorite actors writers directors, and more.

1:41:58Check out Homeworkies Podcast on all your podcast providers and on YouTube. That's Homeworkies Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.

From the publisher

You know him. You watch him. You (probably) love him. (Guilty.) But with as many lawsuits, accusations, and incriminating confessions as he has, we can’t help but wonder… is the trailblazing King of Bravo going to be untouchable forever? 

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Approximate Timestamps: 

00:00 Initial Thoughts and Feelings

11:53 Who is he & background?

15:26 Early Career

35:26 AC transition to talent

47:33 Fatherhood & Relationships

56:13 Feud with Kathy Griffin

01:04:30 CNN New Year’s Eve “Drunken Rant” 

01:06:25 NeNe Leakes Discrimination Lawsuit

01:11:32 Housewives’ Harassment Allegations - Brandy and Leah

01:23:11 Kenley Collins’ “Predator” Accusations

01:29:00 Wrap up & Ending
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