Jeff Lewis Apologizes to Andy Cohen, Addresses BravoCon Controversies
A candid discussion on SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live revealed a softening in the relationship between television personality Jeff Lewis and Bravo executive Andy Cohen, following a recent dispute at BravoCon. Lewis, 55, also addressed several other contentious moments from the convention, including comments about Monica Garcia’s financial situation, a perceived slight towards a fan in recovery, and speculation surrounding his involvement in a dramatic Real Housewives of Orange County finale phone call.
Lewis and Cohen, friends for 18 years, reportedly experienced a falling out at BravoCon, but Lewis indicated the situation is improving. “We’re much better… I have no problem saying, ‘I’m sorry,’” Lewis shared on the November 21 broadcast. “We have an 18-year friendship… I have a lot of love for Andy… I didn’t give a sh*t what 5,000 people thought of me that I don’t know. I don’t care.”
The Flipping Out alum expressed regret for disrupting Cohen’s BravoCon panel. “I screwed up his panel, and that was what I was really most upset about… I was aggressive. I was negative. I was, I got frustrated with him. I am sorry,” he explained, adding that he was “really upset” about hurting Cohen and “f*cked up his day.”
Lewis also revisited a controversial remark he made about Monica Garcia, 42, seemingly questioning her financial stability as a mother of five. He initially “insinuated” she was receiving food stamps, then appeared to double down on the implication. “Five kids and no job? That’s a lot. Kids are expensive. Can I tell you? I can’t afford to have five kids. If I can’t afford to have five kids, she certainly can’t afford to have five kids,” he stated. He later characterized the comment as “an inappropriate joke” that “didn’t land very well,” clarifying that his intention was to question why Bravo doesn’t feature more “affluent women” on its shows.
Addressing a separate incident, Lewis defended a comment he made to a BravoCon attendee who was in recovery. He claimed his words were “taken out of context,” explaining that he questioned whether the convention was an appropriate environment for someone recently sober. “He was very long-winded, and he could not read a room, and he was a downer. He killed the vibe… what happened was, I said, ‘Do you think, now that you’ve fallen off the wagon, you were in recovery, do you think BravoCon is a good place to be?’” He acknowledged the comment was “snarky” and “maybe insensitive.”
Lewis also responded to criticism from Lala Kent, 35, who publicly called him out on Instagram for his comments. “I must’ve talked to her for 30 minutes at JSX before we flew to Vegas. I thought we were friends. If she has a problem, call me. We’ll talk about it,” he said, expressing frustration that Kent didn’t reach out to him directly.
Finally, Lewis denied allegations that Shannon Beador, 62, orchestrated a controversial phone call during the Real Housewives of Orange County finale, in which an anonymous caller accused Tamra Judge, 58, of leaking stories. “Have I ever hid behind anybody? I would not do that because I don’t believe it anyway,” he asserted.
The series of clarifications and apologies suggests Lewis is attempting to mend fences and move forward from the controversies that arose at BravoCon. .
