Andy Cohen Says He’s ‘Extremely Upset’ Over Jen Shah’s Guilty Plea: ‘She Lied’
‘I’m upset that she lied for so long,’ Bravo exec Andy Cohen said on his radio show two days after Jen Shah pleaded guilty to a telemarketing scam she allegedly ran.
(UPDATE: 7/13/22 AT 4:15 P.M. ET): Andy Cohen spoke out about the situation once again on Radio Andy and has developed more serious feelings about Jen Shah’s guilty plea. “I’m upset, and I’m especially upset for her victims,” the Watch What Happens Live host said on the July 13 episode of his Sirius XM show, per Page Six. “I’m upset that she lied for so long and claimed to me that she was an example of someone being wrongly accused.”
He went on to explain that Jen’s “dogmatic” assertion of her innocence after her arrest convinced him she should “have her day” to defend herself in court and that he planned to “cheer” her on. He added, “I’m extremely upset what she did, I’m also upset because, frankly, you get to know someone and you get to like them.”
(ORIGINAL STORY) Andy Cohen has broken his silence one day after The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jen Shah pleaded guilty to the telemarketing fraud scheme she was originally arrested for in March 2021. “I don’t know how to feel about this, Jen Shah pleading guilty,” the executive producer, 54, said on his Sirius XM radio show, Radio Andy, per Page Six. “All it means is she’s changing her plea.”
Andy also noted that Jen had just gifted his 2-month-old daughter, Lucy, a present, which made the sudden turn of events even more shocking. “I was like, ‘Jen Shah, with everything you have going on, that you thought to send Lucy a gift…’ I just thought that was so nice of her,” he recalled. Andy also has a 3-year-old boy named Ben.
![Fresh off hosting New Year's Eve with Anderson Cooper on CNN, Andy Cohen shows off his chiseled torso as he walks shirtless on the beach in Miami with his 10 month-old son Benjamin on his shoulders. The creator of the Real Housewives franchise, is also seen with his personal trainer. *SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS*** Please pixelate children's faces before publication.***. 02 Jan 2020 Pictured: Andy Cohen; Benjamin Cohen. Photo credit: MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA576898_025.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]](https://hollywoodlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/andy-cohen-abs-mega.jpg?fit=157%2C240&resize=157%2C240)
Jen, 48, was arrested on wire fraud and money-laundering charges in relation to a telemarketing scheme she allegedly spearheaded with her former assistant, Stuart Smith. They both pleaded not guilty, and Jen faced 30 years in prison. However, in Nov. 2021, Stuart flipped his plea and was sentenced to 72 months in jail with an additional five years of supervised release. With the reported plea deal Jen now has in the works, she is expecting to spend no more than 14 years in jail. It has also been reported that Jen will be required to pay back $9 million to the hundreds of elderly victims she defrauded plus an additional $6 million.
“Ms. Shah is a good woman who crossed a line. She accepts full responsibility for her actions and deeply apologizes to all who have been harmed,” Jennifer’s lawyer said in a statement to People magazine following her guilty plea. “Ms. Shah is also sorry for disappointing her husband, children, family, friends, and supporters. Jen pled guilty because she wants to pay her debt to society and put this ordeal behind her and her family.”
Just hours after Jen’s guilty plea, it was reported that Bravo cameras will continue to film her for RHOSLC so her full story can be told. “She’s had Meredith [Marks] and Heather [Gay] by her side, who have been very supportive of their friend during a difficult time. Obviously her legal troubles have not been easy for Jen, let alone making this decision to plead not guilty,” a source told People regarding the reality star’s situation. The insider added, “Producers don’t want us to stop following it now. They’ll keep filming with her as long as they can, just like they did with Teresa [Giudice].”