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Andy Cohen has shared his thoughts on Jill Zarin’s recent firing and disclosed his last interaction with her prior to her controversial post. He also stepped up to defend Amanda Frances, a star of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” who has been receiving backlash from fans.
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The controversy began after Jill posted a video criticizing Bad Bunny’s performance during the Super Bowl halftime show. In her video, she remarked on the lack of “white people” and expressed discontent over the artist speaking Spanish. This led to her dismissal from a new E! show that included former cast members from “Real Housewives of New York.” In response to the uproar, Zarin Fabrics publicly condemned Jill’s comments, posting an image of her face marked with an X.
During a segment on SiriusXM’s “Andy Cohen Live,” Andy addressed Jill’s departure from the show. “We went to see ‘& Juliet’ on Broadway, featuring Kandi Burruss. It was a really fun night, with several Housewives in attendance,” Andy recounted. “Stacey Rusch from Potomac, Margaret and Dolores from New Jersey, and Luann were all there. Naturally, the conversation among the Housewives turned to Jill Zarin. All I can say is, ‘Call E!’ for more on the matter.”
On SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, Andy addressed Jill’s firing.
“We went to see & Juliet on Broadway, which Kandi Burruss is starring in. It was really fun. There were Housewives there, so Stacey Rusch was there from Potomac, Margaret was there from New Jersey, and Dolores was there from New Jersey. They were sitting right behind us, and Luann was there,” he said. “And of course all the Housewives were just talking Jill Zarin, and you know, again, I don’t really have anything to say about it besides, ‘Call E!’”
“[This is] someone who was let go in season four, talked about it with me so much on-camera, off-camera, was finally coming back [to TV], and then [this happens] a week after the announcement,” he added. “[I] will never get over the sight of the Zarin Fabrics Instagram account … posting a picture of Jill with an X over it, with an X over her face. I never thought that I would see the day.”
According to Andy, Jill recently contacted him.
“I heard from her a few weeks ago about a reunion set that she said had terrible rugs, and she was like, ‘You should get some rugs at Zarin Fabric,’” Andy recalled. “When I saw the Zarin Fabric post, I was like, ‘Oh my god, the walls are crumbling.’ I couldn’t believe it.”
Also on his radio show, Andy defended Amanda from fan backlash.
“A lot of people have been asking me [if] Amanda Frances … quit halfway through filming,” said the host. “No. She absolutely didn’t, and by the way, I think Amanda Frances is great for the show. … The Kyle [Richards] house connection blows me away. She’s like a self-made person, and I think the viewers are reacting to her; the women are reacting to her. She’s got a story to tell, and so give her a break, everybody.”
“[Someone] with a decent amount of followers tagged me in a really mean post about Amanda Frances,” he went on. “It was so mean, and I was like, ‘You know what? This woman is gonna wake up in L.A., she’s got two small kids, … she’s gonna read that and her day is going to be ruined.’ So I DM the guy, and I said, ‘You know, I love your passion for the show … but you know, these are human beings, and this is really mean.’”
Andy claimed that the guy respectfully messaged him back.
“[He] said, ‘Oh, I can’t believe that you saw that.’ … Well, I just think [this and that about her],’” Andy went on. “And I said, ‘That’s fine. You should have your opinion.’ I go, ‘But, do you realize that this person is going to wake up in an hour, or she may be up, and she’s gonna see this? … Maybe there’s another way for you to express your feelings.’ And then we went back and forth, and he deleted it. And so I hope she never saw it, but it felt good, and he was so nice. … You just have to remember these are real people.”