The Most Painfully Awkward Moments From Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live
Bravo TV's host Andy Cohen has become synonymous with drama, which is likely the reason he has his own talk show. "Watch What Happens Live" usually delves into various Bravo-owned reality shows such as the "Real Housewives" franchise, "Vanderpump Rules," and more, but it also often features major Hollywood stars like Oprah Winfrey and Meryl Streep. While the show typically maintains a polite atmosphere as it mostly broadcasts live from a New York City studio, it has definitely had its fair share of painfully awkward episodes.
Ranging from subtle digs to on-air fights, "Watch What Happens Live" has seen it all. Interestingly, even Cohen himself was called shady and surprisingly faced lawsuits from some Bravolebrities. NeNe Leakes of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" sued Cohen and Bravo TV for racial insensitivity in April 2022, later dropping the lawsuit. In February 2024, Leah McSweeney, known for her time on "The Real Housewives of New York City," sued Cohen for promoting a toxic work environment. Around the same time, Brandi Glanville from "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" claimed the host sexually harassed her, which Cohen said was a misunderstood joke.
While Cohen and Bravo TV evidently have a knack for creating uncomfortable situations, they don't miss the opportunity to share one (or all of them) with the world. From a plethora of different kinds of drama, here are the five most painfully awkward moments from Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live."
NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak's elaborate phone call fight
When NeNe Leakes and Kim Zolciak from "Real Housewives of Atlanta" find themselves in the same space, whether in person or over a phone call, an uncomfortable atmosphere is almost guaranteed. This was precisely the case during Leakes' appearance on Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live" in 2009, resulting in one of the most, if not the most, cringe-worthy scenes the show has ever seen.
As the episode neared its end, Cohen wanted to broach the topic of Leakes' book, "Never Make the Same Mistake Twice," where she takes a jab at Zolciak. The excerpt in question reads: "Kim wouldn't know how to make a dime if you slapped her with a bucket of change. Every dollar that chick has is somebody else's husband's money." Interestingly, as Cohen finished reading the passage, Kim joined the show via a call to defend herself, sparking a heated insult-hurling exchange with Leakes that lasted for seven minutes.
After Zolciak accused Leakes of cheating on her partners, Leakes fired back at her, calling her out for not having a job. The two continued bickering as Cohen appeared thoroughly amused. However, it was Leakes' particularly elaborate insult that caused Cohen to visibly cringe. "Close your legs to married men, trashbox," Leakes told Zolciak, prompting Cohen to laugh uncomfortably while covering his face. Later in the argument, Leakes referred to Zolciak as a "wig," alluding to the hairpieces Zolciak wore on "RHOA," leaving Cohen in shock but also still keeping him thoroughly entertained.
Brandi Glanville drenching Jeff Lewis in wine
What is a list of painfully awkward moments from Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live" without a cameo from Brandi Glanville of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" fame? While Glanville actually had a couple of eyebrow-raising appearances on the talk show, this one takes the cake.
In 2013, joining Andy Cohen were Glanville and "Flipping Out" star Jeff Lewis, and what ensued was unexpected drama. A fan asked whether Glanville could run her fingers through Jeff's hair to prove it wasn't fake, to which Jeff scandalously quipped, "Can I get an STD from that?" Initially, Glanville remained silent, seemingly taking the higher ground, which proved to be incorrect just moments later. After a commercial break, Glanville brought up Jeff's insensitive comment again, holding a glass of wine. She then humorously remarked, "As long as we wet [his hair], I think we'll be fine," before tossing the wine at Jeff's hair, leaving him stunned. Cohen, on the other hand, sported a subtly smug expression on his face.
Glanville proceeded to add: "No STDs, which is good. Alcohol kills everything." Meanwhile, Jeff kept looking over at Cohen, seemingly anticipating some form of reprimand for Glanville's behavior. However, the Bravo host appeared to revel in the chaos that was happening, at least until Glanville began to cry, which intensified the discomfort of the already messy situation. Cohen awkwardly intervened, acting as a mediator between the two Bravo personalities until they eventually buried the hatchet.
Ray Liotta's unfiltered opinions made everyone cringe
An array of unexpectedly awkward moments happened during Ray Liotta's "Watch What Happens Live" appearance in 2017, when the "Goodfellas" star publicly shaded multiple Hollywood stars. During a game of "Plead the Fifth," in which Cohen asks his guests uncomfortable questions with different consequences for not answering, both Liotta and Jennifer Lopez, who was also on the show, found themselves in the hot seat. However, Liotta had no problem sharing his opinions on any of the tricky topics, resulting in a painfully awkward episode.
When asked to name the worst kisser among the women he's acted with throughout his career, Liotta didn't hesitate to call the person in question out. After giving it a moment, he chose Sigourney Weaver, with whom he worked on the 2001 movie "Heartbreakers." Then, things took an even more cringe-worthy turn when Liotta was asked to name the most overrated Hollywood figure of the '80s and '90s. "As an actor? Clint Eastwood, probably," Liotta responded without skipping a beat, sending a wave of visible cringe through Lopez. He then added, "I don't give a s***."
If, at that point, anyone assumed that Liotta had finished causing discomfort to those around him, they were mistaken. Cohen's final question to Liotta was to name his favorite and least favorite song by J.Lo, to which it became apparent Liotta couldn't even name two of her songs as the singer sat right next to him. Yikes.
Regina King and Jackée Harry's drinking got out of hand
While the atmosphere on the set of Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live" can get messy at times, Regina King and Jackée Harry took the uncomfortably lively mood to another level. During their joint appearance on the talk show in 2012, the former co-stars from the 1980s TV sitcom "227" indulged in their drinks a bit too much as they reminisced about their time on the iconic series, providing great entertainment and equally great awkwardness for Cohen.
As Cohen attempted to steer the conversation, King and Harry seemed oblivious to his prompts, instead sharing giggles and inside jokes, leaving Cohen and the audience somewhat perplexed. The two continued to sip on their drinks until they could no longer hide that they'd sipped a bit too much. With their speech becoming increasingly slurred and their responses more candid as the episode progressed, Cohen couldn't help but share his bewilderment at the unfolding scene, telling the cameras, "This is nuts." However, while slightly uncomfortable, mostly for Cohen, the episode was wholehearted and, honestly, genuinely amusing to watch.
Years later, Cohen reflected on the awkward incident during an interview on Naomi Campbell's "No Filter with Naomi," sharing, "They were wasted." He recounted: "I was like, 'Oh my god, how is this going to be?' It was crazy."
When Julia Fox couldn't stop looking at herself
When Julia Fox joined Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live" in 2023, the host likely didn't anticipate being largely ignored. Fox, an actor and author who gained mainstream prominence as Kanye West's girlfriend, appeared disassociated as Cohen prompted her to discuss the drama of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City." While providing her thoughts on Meredith Marks and Lisa Barlow's relationship, Fox kept looking everywhere but at Cohen, who, despite being visibly puzzled, brushed it off.
Then, when Cohen raised another topic related to "RHOSL," Fox continued to be distracted by something in the studio. "Now, you are not looking at me," a frustrated Cohen exclaimed, to which Fox admitted she was looking at herself on the studio screens. "I look so good," she quipped, to which Cohen referenced another painfully awkward "WWHL" moment with Mariah Carey, when the "Touch My Body" singer insisted on swapping places with him to showcase her preferred side profile. "Be in the moment. Don't look at the TV," Cohen awkwardly pleaded with an amused Fox, who couldn't resist checking herself out several more times during the episode.
Notably, opinions in the comment section of the episode excerpt posted on the "WWHL" YouTube channel varied. Some thought Cohen's behavior was unpleasant, describing it as "dictatorial" and "passive aggressive," while others felt like Fox was the one responsible for creating an unnecessarily uncomfortable situation.