Wendy Williams, 58, pitched Andy Cohen, 54, to join The Real Housewives of New York City, but that obviously didn’t pan out. Andy, 54, revealed in his new book, The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up, that the former host of The Wendy Williams Show called him in early May 2022, and told him she wanted to be on RHONY. But Andy said that he ultimately turned down Wendy’s proposal because of her personal problems.
“Had this call come a year earlier, it would’ve been a brilliant idea,” Andy said in the book. “If she is struggling with mental health issues, though, this isn’t the time. Her enthusiasm was infectious, though when I was explaining the idea of Legacy and the brand-new show, she just wanted to focus on the last version. So the conversation didn’t go anywhere.”
As Andy noted, Wendy called him after Bravo already announced in March 2022 that RHONY was being rebooted for season 14 with a group of all-new women. The season will begin airing this July and the cast includes former J. Crew President Jenna Lyons. Bravo had also announced plans for another show, RHONY: Legacy, which was set to feature former stars of the franchise like Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan, and Dorinda Medley. But plans for RHONY: Legacy have stalled and former star Ramona Singer even told HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY in March that, as far as she knows, the show “is not happening” anymore.
It would’ve been thrilling to see Wendy appear on RHONY, which is something fans have been wanting for a long time. In the past, Wendy has said she’d never join the hit Bravo show. “No, I won’t be a member of The Real Housewives of New York City,” Wendy said on her talk show in July 2019. “First off, you’re not coming to my apartment. You’re not checking out who I date. There would be so many no no nos that you would be bored with me.”
Wendy’s recent personal struggles have kept her off television and she’s been focused on her health. In Sept. 2022, the New Jersey native went to rehab for two months, following the end of her beloved syndicated talk show after 13 seasons. Wendy’s dealt with a myriad of health issues over the years, including Graves’ disease and lymphedema. She’s also been open about her struggles with substance abuse in the past and has checked into sober-living facilities before. In addition, she went through a very public divorce in 2019.