Andy Cohen is speaking out for the first time about “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jennie Nguyen’s controversial social media posts that have resurfaced.
“The posts were very upsetting … and disgusting,” the executive producer, 53, said on Monday’s episode of his SiriusXM show, “Radio Andy.”
Cohen also explained that he and Nguyen’s co-star Lisa Barlow only briefly discussed the scandal on Sunday’s episode of “Watch What Happens Live” because they pretaped it last Wednesday, mere hours after the posts started making headlines.
“People were very upset about the lack of discussion on last night’s episode relating to Jennie’s disgusting and upsetting posts, and I’ve also seen all the tweets wanting to know what’s being done about those posts,” he began.
“I just want to say, in case anyone doesn’t realize it, that there are many serious discussions happening right now about everything — about everything,” Cohen stressed. “And I can’t address the situation right now, but it will be addressed very soon, and thank you for your patience.”
Barlow, who has known Nguyen for years, said during her “WWHL” appearance that she does not “condone” her friend’s 2020 Facebook posts, many of which mocked the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I’m completely anti-racist, so I hope everyone does better, but I definitely don’t condone those,” the Vida Tequila founder said. “I haven’t looked at Jennie’s Facebook page in years. I was totally surprised.”
Nearly all of Nguyen’s co-stars — including Heather Gay, Whitney Rose, Meredith Marks and Jen Shah — have also publicly condemned her posts and unfollowed her on Instagram.
Rose said she was “shocked and saddened,” while Marks was “sickened” and Gay was “disappointed.”
Shah, who has a black husband and sons, was the only one to call out Nguyen directly, writing that her apology seemed “disingenuous” and adding, “We have some real s–t to talk about.”
Nguyen posted an apology statement via Instagram Wednesday night, writing in part, “I thought I was speaking out against violence.”
She added that she has “since learned how offensive and hurtful [her] words were.”
“The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
