For years, fans have speculated about the close friendship between Watch What Happens Live! host Andy Cohen and singer-songwriter John Mayer, and now Cohen is setting the record straight once again.
In a candid new conversation on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, the Emmy-winning TV personality opened up about his enduring connection with the Grammy-winning musician, describing a bond that’s emotional, affectionate, and deeply platonic.
“We love each other deeply. We actually do,” Cohen, 57, told Cooper during the episode, which dropped Wednesday. “It is us going to dinner. We always sit on the same side of the booth. We sit next to each other always.”
While their cozy dinner setup might raise eyebrows, Cohen insisted there’s nothing romantic between them, just genuine friendship and mutual respect. “We don’t hold hands at dinner,” he explained with a laugh. “But I do, as the night goes on, find myself sinking into him because he’ll have his arm around me.”
Cohen went on to describe one particularly funny moment from a recent night out. “As a matter of fact, we were at the Sunset Tower last week, and I was getting so physical with him by the end that he was like, ‘Andy,’” he said. “But I was kind of using his body to tell a story about a guy, but then I was like, I was in my cups a little bit. We were in a puddle of laughter.”
“If I Could Find a Gay Guy That Was Him…”
Despite years of online speculation about their relationship status, Cohen was quick to make one thing clear: “I’m not secretly in love with him.”
Still, the Real Housewives executive producer admitted that if he could find a romantic partner who shared Mayer’s qualities, he’d be thrilled. “We love each other,” Cohen said. “If I could find a gay guy that was him, it would be magic. But you know what? I am so grateful for the love that we have.”
When Cooper asked what kind of person Cohen would set Mayer up with, he didn’t hesitate. “It would be someone who has their own thing going, who has their own success, who is just smart and funny, and just someone strong and independent,” he explained.
Cohen and Mayer, 48, have been close for years, bonding over their shared love of the Grateful Dead and frequently appearing together at events. Mayer has become part of Cohen’s extended circle, even earning the affectionate title of “Uncle John” to Cohen’s two children.
Mayer Defends Their Friendship
While Cohen has long praised Mayer’s emotional intelligence and loyalty, Mayer himself has also spoken publicly about their connection — and about the cultural discomfort some people still have with platonic intimacy between men, especially between a gay man and a straight one.
In a 2024 email to The Hollywood Reporter, Mayer pushed back on speculation that their friendship must be romantic.
“I think that to suggest that people are dubious of a friendship like mine and Andy’s is to undermine the public’s ability to accept and understand diversity in all facets of culture, be it in art or in real life,” Mayer wrote. “I’d like to think they’re sophisticated enough to see a relationship like ours without assuming it must include a sexual component.”
He continued, “That turns the concept of being gay into an ignorantly two-dimensional one, which I know you know it’s not.”
Mayer also emphasized that no one should have to justify the authenticity of a platonic relationship. “If someone is dubious of a platonic relationship between a straight man and a gay man, I don’t think that shallow a view deserves clarification by anyone with self-respect,” he said. “Reinforcing the idea that any gay/straight relationship needs qualification that it’s not sexual devoids everyone involved of their dignity.”
For Cohen, the friendship continues to be one of the most meaningful relationships in his life, one rooted in humor, care, and emotional honesty. “I am so grateful for the love that we have,” he told Cooper.
