Andy Cohen said a lot of things during CNN’s annual live New Year’s Eve coverage, but the network is standing by him.
There was his now viral, booze-infused rant against former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. Mark Zuckerberg also got a dressing down for “messing with all of us.” Cohen then flat-out asked Kris Jenner about Kim Kardashian’s rumored relationship with comedian Pete Davidson, as his giggle-prone co-host Anderson Cooper watched on.
But the one thing he regretted ― besides what we can only imagine was a massive hangover ― was a dig at his competitors over at ABC for their “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” special, referring to the program as “Ryan Seacrest’s group of losers.”
“The only thing that I regret saying, the only thing is that I slammed the ABC broadcast, and I really like Ryan Seacrest and he’s a great guy,” Cohen said on his SiriusXM show Monday. “And I really regret saying that, and I was just stupid and drunk and feeling it.” The Bravo host went on to lament the headlines circulating about him trashing Seacrest, adding, “I hope he hears the clip. You know what I mean?”
In a New Year’s Day tweet, Cohen also addressed his drunken behavior during the broadcast, explaining that he’d been “a bit overserved.”
The ensuing controversy from his remarks sparked rumors that CNN planned to kick Cohen to the curb for next year’s show. Multiple unverified reports claimed that he went “too far” and staffers were “embarrassed” to work at the network following the special.
Despite the backlash, CNN is choosing to stand by Cohen, instead of dropping him from the special like a certain other redheaded former host, who found herself embroiled in controversy.
“Andy said something he shouldn’t have on live TV,” a representative for the network told People in a statement. “We’ve addressed it with him and look forward to having him back again next year.”