Andy Cohen visited San Francisco last week to discuss his new book, “The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up,” but all the audience wanted to talk about was “Vanderpump Rules.”
The Bravo TV host and producer appeared before an audience of predominantly female fans Friday at Sydney Goldstein Theater as part of a City Arts & Lectures special event. Cohen was in conversation with Manny Yekutiel, who owns Manny’s, a civic event space in the Mission, who asked him questions about his career and recent memoir about becoming a gay single parent.
Fans cheered loudest as Cohen answered questions about #Scandoval, the drama-filled cheating scandal that swept the nation this year, as the “Vanderpump Rules” finale had premiered just days before the event. The television personality also entertained plenty of questions about his time as a producer on the “Real Housewives” franchises, as well as his hosting gigs on “Watch What Happens Live” and CNN’s “New Year’s Eve Live,” and didn’t seem annoyed that they far eclipsed questions about his diary-style book that was released earlier this month.
For local fans, Cohen addressed long-standing speculation about whether there would ever be a “Real Housewives of San Francisco.” He revealed that it almost happened. “We cast here once. We clearly didn’t cast the right people,” he said during the Q&A portion of the show. “And I would say right now, I kinda feel like we’re good. We have 10 franchises.”
“Make it 11!” several people called out. But Cohen quickly moved on to the next question.
A later question from an audience member asked about another rumor — whether there would ever be an all-male spinoff version of the “Housewives” franchise, whether with gay or straight cast members. “We really would like the ‘Real House Husbands of San Francisco,’ please,” one woman declared.
“Here’s the thing: Men are very boring,” Cohen said to audience laughter. “Early on, we cast the ‘House Husbands of Orange County,’ and it was a snooze.”
Cohen appeared relaxed and in good spirits on the last night of in-person events for his book tour and thanked the audience several times for supporting him. But his biggest praise for San Francisco came when an audience member brought Cohen a gift — a giant box of cannabis. He eagerly accepted it onstage and later showcased it again on his Instagram stories. “Every time I’m here in San Francisco, people bring me pot. That’s why I love San Francisco so much.”