Andy Cohen would like to be excluded from the Bethenny Frankel narrative for the duration of BravoCon 2023.
Andy, 55, kicked off the three-day convention in Las Vegas with his “Ask Andy” panel on Friday, November 3. After he and guest Jeff Lewis broke down the biggest stories across the franchises, it came time for the fan Q&A. After one attendee attempted to ask about Bethenny, 52, Andy made it clear where he stands.
“Bravo, as we all can see, and the shows that are on Bravo, bring millions of people so much joy and so much happiness, which is why we are all here to have fun,” he replied.
“I love the joy that these shows bring people. And I think we all do. And that’s the place that I’m at.”
Jeff, 53, similarly brushed off the comment about Bethenny. “I don’t want to talk about that,” he said on Friday.
Bethenny rose to fame as one of the OG Housewives on The Real Housewives of New York City before ultimately leaving the show after 2019’s season 11. Earlier this year, she made waves when she criticized reality TV productions for not providing a union or residuals for stars amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA labor strike. She has since launched her own “reality reckoning” to support other reality TV personalities.
“I have not hired lawyers nor am I suing,” she wrote via her Instagram last month. “I have directed wronged talent and production members to get legal representation and am fighting for systematic change in a damaged institution. The reality reckoning is true, real and I’ll lead by example and evolve for myself and for my daughter, [Bryn].”
She added: “We have fed the machine ratings, ad dollars, catchphrases and content. We get filthy and they get filthy rich.”
Bethenny has not been in contact with Andy — an executive producer for the network’s shows — despite once having a close friendship. In fact, she has even alleged that he “despises” her current plan.
“I can tell you with great certainty that everyone at Bravo likely despises me, including Andy Cohen, because it’s very personal and because they have to protect the realm,” Bethenny said on Rob Lowe’s “Literally” podcast in August. “It’s a very complicated thing I walked myself into whilst also burning bridges and seeming like I’m biting the hand that fed me, but I fed myself. There are a lot of people who didn’t get fed.”
While Andy and Jeff stayed mum about Bethenny on Friday, Lisa Vanderpump has not held her tongue.
“To have an amazing television career, I’m so thankful to NBC and Bravo. They’ve taken so much crap lately from so many people that you know used to work for them, [and] I think it’s a shame,” the Vanderpump Rules star, 63, exclusively told Us Weekly on Thursday, November 2. “You’ve got to also look at what they’ve given you as well.”
Lisa concluded: “Nobody is force-feeding you. So a lot of that, a lot of bulls–t, people casting blame. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
With reporting by Sarah Hearon
