Andy Cohen Breaks Silence Over 'Real Housewives' Criticism: 'I Have No Regrets'

Andy Cohen has finally spoken out about the sexual harassment lawsuit filed by two of his former Real Housewives stars. While sitting down with The Hollywood Reporter, Cohen was asked outright whether the sexual harassment complaints by Brandi Glanville and Caroline Manzo are "isolated complaints or symptoms of a larger problem" within the network. The publication also brought up the complaints Leah McSweeney made to Vanity Fair, accusing producers of "sabotaging" her sobriety. However, Cohen was restricted by his lawyers to respond to the sexual harassment allegations specifically. "Unfortunately, I can't talk about some of these things," Cohen said in relation to the sexual harassment charges, before moving on to McSweeney's sobriety, insisting that no one is forced to drink alcohol while filming. "What I'll say about the alcohol is that we have so many sober people and people who have gotten sober on the show, like Countess Luann [de Lesseps]. We have people who've never had a drink during the entire run of the show. Jill Zarin. Kandi Burris. Heather Dubrow will just have an occasional glass of champagne. So sure, there are people who drink," he said. "There are many people who never drink. We don't force anyone to do anything. But no one is secretly hiding liquor bottles on set. That's ridiculous. We've been very supportive of people's sobriety." Earlier in 2024, Brandi Glanville claimed Cohen invited her to watch him have sex with Below Deck star Kate Chastain. At the time, Cohen called the exchange a "joke" via X. "The video [in question] shows Kate Chastain and I very clearly joking to Brandi," he tweeted. "It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandi's response clearly communicated she was in on the joke. That said, it was totally inappropriate and I apologize." One month prior to the allegations around Cohen, Glanville was accused of misconduct herself when Manzo sued Bravo, alleging Glanville harassed her while filming Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. Amid the backlash Cohen and Bravo have received regarding the allegations, as well as criticism from people like Bethenny Frankel, Cohen said it's "hurtful" to see old friends being at the forefront of criticism against the Bravo honcho. However, Cohen said he has "no regrets about" how he has handled everything, emphasizing how "proud" he is of the relationships he has fostered along the ride. "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. I think most people involved with these shows have been very grateful for the platform, but there will always be a few with complaints," Cohen said. "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. 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. I know what the truth is and I know how I’ve conducted myself, and I walk tall every day on that." The Real Housewives franchise has been in production since 2009 and Cohen admits a lot has had to change over the years. "Producing a show about politically incorrect women in 2024 is different than producing a show about politically incorrect women in 2009," Cohen told the publication. "Sensitivities have changed over the years. Social media has a huge impact. There's not a lot of room for nuance these days," he added. "We are living in an outrage culture now, and everyone has had to adapt to that." Additionally, Bravo has received a lot of flack for being slow on diversifying its roster, but Cohen said he is "proud" of the work the network has put into ensuring the shows are representing the country's demographics. Cohen credited the death of George Floyd as a wake up call. "George Floyd was an important cultural shift that forced us to look at all of our programming. Bravo made it a mandate to diversify its shows. I mean, they had a show, Summer House, that was like a bunch of white people in the Hamptons. Southern Charm was a bunch of white people tomcatting in Charleston," he said. "They thought, 'Why are a lot of the shows so segregated?' They decided that there needed to be more representation across the dial. And they did it." Read more form Andy Cohen's profile with The Hollywood Reporter.