Andy Cohen has become one of Bravo’s most recognizable faces, serving as the network’s executive producer, host, and a familiar presence in the lives of many of its reality TV stars. While the “Watch What Happens Live” host has built close relationships with many of the network’s most notable stars, his bond with others has been marked by tension, public disagreements, and criticism over how they were treated behind the scenes. Most recently, Bethenny Frankel, who appeared on “The Real Housewives of New York City” before becoming one of the network’s most outspoken former stars, recently made headlines with her latest comments about Cohen. But she’s not the only one to dish on her broken relationship with the father of her two children. Others, including NeNe Leakes and Leah McSweeney, have also publicly criticized the TV figure.
1. Bethenny Frankel Slams ‘Bitter’ Andy Cohen Following Comments At Bravo Fan Fest
Bethenny Frankel wasted no time calling out Cohen in a new video after the Bravo executive threw shade at his former employee during Bravo Fan Fest.
When asked if he keeps up with Frankel, who joined “RHONY” in season 1 in 2008, the father of two said he wasn’t “really active on TikTok.”
Frankel and Cohen have a complicated history, dating back to 2022, when Cohen accused Frankel of “trashing” the “Real Housewives” franchise on social media.
In her latest video, Frankel said she was unbothered by Cohen’s comments and implied he was worried about his future with the network because of Bravo’s declining ratings.
“He’s living the stainless steel life over on Bravo,” she said before calling him the network’s “b-tch” who relies on it to get paid while she makes money on her own terms.
“Minding my own business and I get sucker punched,” she captioned the video. “If you’re gonna take a shot at this B, you better not miss.”
2. NeNe Leakes Blasts Andy Cohen On X Before Naming Him In A Lawsuit
Frankel isn’t the only “Real Housewives” OG who the “Daddy Diaries” author has bumped heads with. In the fall of 2020, former “RHOA” star NeNe Leakes made headlines after calling out Cohen in her departure announcement.
“I have ALWAYS believed in multiple streams of income so the leakes are good you ole cocaine head and you ole racist. No one knew you until YOU knew me. Remember I’m ICON. Don’t forget,” she said.
In a video shared online, Leakes claimed she had been phased out of the Georgia-based reality show after “an extremely, extremely long, exhausting, tiring, emotional negotiation.”
Leakes later sued Bravo and Cohen in April 2022, alleging racial discrimination on set. In the filing, she also claimed high-powered executives at Bravo and Truly Original (the show’s production company) fostered a hostile work environment.
While the parties settled in August of that year, things between Cohen and Leakes never got back on track. Four years later, Leakes said in an interview that she was willing to work things out with Cohen if given the chance.
“You don’t have to be besties or anything like that, but I move forward. I’m not into holding negative energy,” she said, per The Blast.
3. Leakes Isn’t The Only One Who Has Mentioned Andy Cohen In A Lawsuit
Leakes isn’t the only “Real Housewives” star who’s sued Bravo and Cohen. According to Deadline, former “RHONY” cast member Leah McSweeney accused Cohen of cocaine use and creating a culture of bullying amongst Bravo celebrities.
“Defendant Cohen’s proclivity for cocaine usage with his employees is well-known throughout the Real Housewives franchise,” part of the suit read. “Defendant Cohen intentionally uses cocaine with his employees to further promote a workplace culture that thrives off drug and alcohol abuse, which leads to a failure to accommodate employees who are disabled and attempting to remain substance-free.”
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4. Carole Radziwill Feuded With Cohen In 2024
Adding to the list of “RHONY” cast members who have called out Cohen is Carole Radziwill. The “What Remains” author opened up in 2024 about giving an anonymous statement to a publication about her former boss.
Cohen discussed the moment with John Hill on his radio show, “Andy Cohen Live,” and said he was confused that Radziwill chose to speak anonymously after previously being open about her disdain for him.
“Hey Carole here,” she wrote on X. “Someone can make a truthful observation &there’s always one short-ish dude waiting to be offended. At this point why would any normal person use their name? They’re all so vindictive which I believe is the point of the quote& confirmed by Andy’s nasty response.”
5. Kelly Dodd Previously Said Cohen Was ‘Full Of [Expletive]’ After Firing
Former “Real Housewives of Orange County” cast member Kelly Dodd also called out Cohen in a previous interview after the latter appeared to advocate for conservative women on the show.
According to Page Six, Dodd said she believed Cohen was “full of sh-t” before adding that the “Watch What Happens Live” host was lying to appease critics.
“I think that he sees that the ratings are slipping, and he needs to get back some conservatives. He’s lost half of his audience. Any time you talk about politics, you’re gonna p*ss off half the country,” she said. “The show is not about politics. It’s about women’s lives. It’s not about politics. No one’s running for office [and] no one’s talking about politics.”
Dodd was fired from “RHOC” in June 2021 after fan backlash over her stance on the COVID-19 pandemic. While she initially claimed she was let go for social reasons, she later retracted that claim in another media appearance.
“Listen, ultimately I got fired because of myself. I’m the one who got myself fired. I was like Howard Stern with WNBC. I had the executives calling me, and Emily’s like, ‘Who are they?’ and I’m like, well, they know me! I know them! But I was causing them a lot of grief. I was causing them a lot of trouble,” she said.