Executive producer of Bravo’s The Real Housewives franchise Andy Cohen broke his silence on the recent scandal involving ex-Bravo stars — who are wielding accusations and filing lawsuits over alleged sexism and substance abuse on set — saying, “It’s hurtful. But I have no regrets about the way I’ve handled anything.”
“I’m incredibly proud of the close relationships I’ve built in my 20 years at the network. I’m super proud of what we’ve built and of everybody who’s been a part of it,” Cohen told Hollywood Reporter after being asked if he “felt hurt by some of the criticism” he has received or if he has “any regrets” about how he handled anything.
“I think most people involved with these shows have been very grateful for the platform, but there will always be a few with complaints,” the Bravo host added. “Obviously, it’s no fun to be a target. So, yes, it’s hurtful. But I have no regrets about the way I’ve handled anything.”
Cohen went on to say, “I think everything that happens in your life informs the next thing that happens in your life.”
“That’s the way I look at all this,” he said. “I know what the truth is and I know how I’ve conducted myself, and I walk tall every day on that.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Cohen noted that a lot has changed in the 18 years he has been a producer of Real Housewives, saying, “We are living in an outrage culture now” and that people “can’t say” the same things they were able to say on television in 2009.
“Producing a show about politically incorrect women in 2024 is different than producing a show about politically incorrect women in 2009,” Cohen said. “In 2009, when one of the kids called his brother a fag, we left it in the show and then discussed it at the reunion episode.”
“That was how two brothers talked to each other in 2009, and we saw it as a teaching moment,” the Bravo host explained. “In 2024, you would immediately bleep that word, and it would trigger a whole furor.”
“Today, someone on the show would probably say, ‘You can’t say that word anymore.’ And then the viewers would go wild on Twitter,” Cohen said. “Sensitivities have changed over the years. Social media has a huge impact. There’s not a lot of room for nuance these days.”
“We are living in an outrage culture now, and everyone has had to adapt to that,” he added.
As Breitbart News reported, fashion designer and Real Housewives of New York City star Leah McSweeney filed a lawsuit riddled with cocaine and booze-related allegations against Cohen, accusing him of encouraging substance abuse to boost ratings, among other things.
Former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Brandi Glanville, meanwhile, accused the Bravo host of sending her an inappropriate video that included a proposal to watch him have sex in 2022, to which Cohen apologized, saying his sex-viewing proposal was “meant in jest.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
