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Andy Cohen Replaces Kathy Griffin as Cohost on CNN’s New Year’s Eve Special With Anderson Cooper

Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper attend Elton John AIDS Foundation's 14th Annual An Enduring Vision Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street on November 2, 2015 in New York City.
Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper attend Elton John AIDS Foundation's 14th Annual An Enduring Vision Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street on November 2, 2015 in New York City.Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

A New Year’s Eve like no other! Andy Cohen confirmed that he is replacing Kathy Griffin as the cohost on CNN’s New Year’s Eve special broadcast alongside his longtime pal Anderson Cooper.

“The news is out! I’m cohosting New Year’s Eve on CNN with @andersooncooper and I could not be more excited!” the Bravo host, 49, tweeted on Wednesday October 11.

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“Andy is the life of the party wherever he goes and what bigger party is there than New Year’s Eve? It’s going to be a blast!” Cooper, 50, said of the announcement in a news release.

The future cohosts are currently touring their unscripted show, AC2, across the United States. “I’ve been friends with Anderson for 25 years,” added Cohen. “We’ve traveled the world together and performed in 30 plus cities with AC2 and it’s all led to this one huge night!”

As previously reported, CNN fired Griffin, 56, from its New Year’s Eve special in May after the comedian posed for a photoshoot with a mock decapitated head resembling President Donald Trump.

“CNN has terminated our agreement with Kathy Griffin to appear on our New Year’s Eve program,” the network tweeted at the time.

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Prior to announcing Griffin’s firing, CNN released a statement dubbing the images “disgusting and offensive.” Cooper also criticized the controversial photos, tweeting, “For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate.”

Cooper appeared on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in July to further discuss the incident. “Yeah, we’re still friends,” he said on the show. “Look, I said a lot. I said what I said. I didn’t think what she did was appropriate but I wish her the best and back on the road.”

New York Magazine’s The Cut reported that Griffin allegedly took issue with Cooper’s remarks. “The fact that Cooper was telling people publicly they were friends, while not checking in with her, hurt Griffin deeply,” writer Yashar Ali claimed in a story published in August. “When he finally reached out to her in a series of text messages, she told him the friendship was over.”

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Hours after releasing the gruesome photo, Griffin released a video apology. “I’m just now seeing the reaction to these images. I’m a comic. I cross the line. I move the line then I cross it,” she said. “I went way too far. The image is too disturbing. I understand how it offends people. It wasn’t funny. I get it. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career, I will continue. I ask your forgiveness.”

Trump took to Twitter shortly after to respond to the shoot. “Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself,” he wrote. “My children, especially my 11-year-old son, Barron, are having a hard time time. Sick!”

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