Andy Cohen has responded to former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Brandi Glanville‘s claim that he sexually harassed her.
On Friday, Glanville’s lawyers sent out a scathing letter, blasting NBCUniversal, Bravo, Warner Bros., and Shed Media for allegedly “abusive practices” and for their handling of events that took place during the filming of “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.”
In the letter, Glanville accused Cohen of sexual harassment when he made a comment in 2022 about wanting to sleep with a Bravo star while “thinking” about her. Now Cohen says this comment was a “joke” but “inappropriate.”
Andy Cohen Responds To Brandi Glanville’s Sexual Harassment Claim
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Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Cohen swiftly addressed the accusations leveled against him by former “RHOBH” star Glanville.
Cohen wrote that in the video, he and Kate Chastain, another Bravo star, were “clearly joking” with Glanville and that her response showed that she was allegedly in on the joke. However, Cohen noted that the “joke” was still inappropriate, likely considering that he was her boss at the time.
The video shows Kate Chastain and I very clearly joking to Brandi. It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandi’s response clearly communicated she was in on the joke. That said, it was totally inappropriate and I apologize.
— Andy Cohen (@Andy) February 23, 2024
“The video shows Kate Chastain and I very clearly joking to Brandi. It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandi’s response clearly communicated she was in on the joke. That said, it was totally inappropriate and I apologize,” Cohen wrote on X.
A source close to the matter also spoke to People magazine, noting that what Cohen said in the video was a joke. They said, “No one in their right mind would think that anything Andy was saying in that video was meant to be taken seriously. It was very clear that everyone was in on the joke.”
Brandi Glanville Said Andy Cohen Made Her Feel ‘Trapped’ And ‘Disgusted’
Instagram | Brandi Glanville
In the letter sent out by Glanville’s lawyers, Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos, they noted Cohen’s joke made the reality TV star feel “trapped” and “disgusted” due to his position as her boss, who had complete control “over her career.”
The letter read, “Worse still, Ms. Glanville herself has been a victim of sexual harassment at Bravo by none other than Andy Cohen. In a video sent by Mr. Cohen to Ms. Glanville in 2022, Mr. Cohen—appearing obviously inebriated—boasted of his intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her and invited her to watch via Facetime.”
It continued, “Mr. Cohen was Ms. Glanville’s boss at the time and exercised complete and total control over her career. This was an extraordinary abuse of power that left Ms. Glanville feeling trapped and disgusted. It is inconceivable that Mr. Cohen remains in his post in spite of this behavior and harkens back to the bad old days of Matt Lauer and NBC News when profits were prioritized over people.”
Brandi Glanville Speaks On Caroline Manzo’s Sexual Assault Allegations
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Glanville’s letter comes after she was accused of sexual assault by her former co-star, Caroline Manzo, who claimed that she forcefully kissed her during their time filming “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.”
In the letter, she noted that Manzo’s accusations and NBCUniversal’s handling of the matter have led to her reputation being “damaged.” Glanville also shared that what happened between her and Manzo was consensual, emphasizing that during the “Ultimate Girls Trip,” they were told they were there to “make good TV.” She said that she took this as a directive to participate in “boozy debauchery.”
Glanville claimed that she and all the other housewives, including Manzo, participated in these activities, which led to “flirting” and “playful touching.” She and Manzo also shared a “couple of kisses” “throughout” that night.
In her explosive letter, Glanville claims that she and Manzo were never alone on the evening the alleged assault occurred and that “Ms. Manzo did not manifest a lack of consent at any point.”
She Called Out NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. & Bravo
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Glanville’s letter was mainly a notice to NBCUniversal, Warner Bros., Bravo, and Shed Media that she was ready for a court battle over the alleged mistreatment she had received from the studio and its producers.
The letter read in part: “Over the past year, Ms. Glanville has been subjected to a vicious media campaign based on false allegations of sexual misconduct. The false narrative, which NBC and Shed Media have apparently decided to foment, arises from Ms. Glanville’s experience on ‘Ultimate Girls Trip: Morocco.”
“While the experience has been a nightmare for Ms. Glanville, it is far from the first time Ms. Glanville has been used and abused by NBC, Bravo, Warner Bros., and Shed Media. Indeed, Ms. Glanville has long been taken advantage of by the institutions with which she is indelibly tied personally, professionally, financially, and in the public mind,” it continued.
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Her lawyer Freedman also slammed the studios, saying: “This is yet another example of the abusive practices of the reality TV industry. Mark Geragos and I have heard from thousands of current and former cast members on reality shows about the physical and emotional harm inflicted on them by virtue of their participation. NBC, Bravo, Warner Bros., and Shed Media intentionally obscure their legal rights, bind them to illegal contracts, and knowingly cause them to suffer in silence.”
Freedman then sent out a call to other “innocent victims” of NBC, Shed Media, Bravo, and Warner Bros to come forward and tell their stories so they can band together and “fight for change” in the “sordid” reality TV industry.