Andy Cohen Recalls the Moment He Came out on TV... at the RHONJ Season 1 Reunion
The WWHL host called the moment "kind of a big deal."
This post was originally published in July 2019.
While Andy Cohen had been out to his friends, family, and colleagues for years by the time he sat down for The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 1 reunion in 2009, it wasn't until that fateful event that he officially came out for the entire world to see.
Andy Cohen Discusses Hosting Real Housewives Reunions
The Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen host discussed those early days hosting the RHONJ reunions at the WWHL For Your Consideration Emmys event in New York City in May 2019, saying, "Toughest reunion I ever sat through, probably those early years of Jersey where it was blood warfare."
And now he's shedding even more light on those early days and how he used that moment to share a bit about himself.
Andy Reflects on Coming Out During the RHONJ Reunion
In an essay for O Magazine, Andy recalled the moment he came out in front of the cameras a decade ago.
He wrote: "And then, I remember when I had to come out on TV. It was during the first Real Housewives of New Jersey reunion in 2009, and Teresa Giudice’s husband [Joe Giudice] said something that Danielle Staub thought was homophobic, or disrespectful to gays. We had a conversation about it, and Teresa said it wasn’t offensive. I said — and this is way before I started inserted myself into anything — 'Look, I have to say, I’m the only gay guy in the room. I am gay, and it was not comfortable to me.' At the time, it was kind of a big deal, because I hadn’t come out publicly on TV. This was way before Watch What Happens Live, and I guess I had never said it. Weirdly, that was kind of my 'public' coming out."
Andy’s Legacy as an LGBTQ Advocate
Since then, Andy has continued to break new ground as a vocal activist for the LGBTQ community, proud single dad, TV producer, and as a talk show host. Oh, yeah, did we also mention he's getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? He added in his essay for O: "I’m proud of being the only gay late-night talk show host."
Check out Andy in action, below.
