Andy Cohen insists he is NOT sleeping with his good friend John Mayer, as he squashes speculation they are in a romantic relationship: ‘Let them speculate!’

Andy Cohen has opened up once again about his close friendship with singer John Mayer, once again denying that they have a romantic relationship.

The Bravolebrity, 55, was asked about their friendship as part of a profile for The Hollywood Reporter – squashing speculation that the duo have attempted to get intimate.

Let them speculate! I honestly love John Mayer and he loves me. But because we are so affectionate with each other, people don’t know which box to put that in. “They assume we sleep with each other, which we definitely don’t,” he said.

It is not the first time that Andy has had to clarify the true nature of his relationship with Mayer.

The fact that they have been close friends for a long time and that Andy is gay has led to wild rumors about their friendship.

But during an appearance on The Howard Stern Show last year, Andy insisted that her affection for John, 45, had never become physical.

At Howard’s urging, Andy even swore on his children Ben, five, and Lucy, two, that he and John had never wasted any time.

However, Andy told the self-proclaimed King of All Media: “I’m in love with John Mayer. We’re in love with each other.

“I mean, I swear on the lives of your children that there has never been anything sexual between you and John Mayer,” Howard said, and Andy immediately agreed: “I swear.”

In addition to his friendship with Mayer, Cohen also got candid about how the production of the Real Housewives franchise has changed dramatically over the years.

The Bravo boss, who has been named in an explosive lawsuit against the network by RHONY alum Leah McSweeney, said that since the franchise launched more than 15 years ago, creators have had to quickly adapt to the changing cultural landscape .

“Producing a show about politically incorrect women in 2024 is different than producing a show about politically incorrect women in 2009,” the TV host told The Hollywood Reporter.

“We now live in a culture of outrage and everyone has had to adapt to it,” he continued.

Cohen added that the “sensitivity” of viewers has been heightened and attributes this change to the widespread influence of social media.

‘Sensitivities have changed over the years. Social networks have a great impact. “Nowadays there is not much room for nuances,” he added.

When asked about criticism that Bravo has been slow to adapt, such as diversifying its casts, Andy expressed pride in the network’s efforts to ensure shows accurately reflect the country’s demographics.

He even acknowledged the death of George Floyd in 2020 as a catalyst for change.

“George Floyd was a major cultural shift that forced us to look at all of our programming,” he said, noting that he is no longer in charge of programming.

‘Bravo set out to diversify his shows. I mean, they had a show, Summer House, that was like a group of white people in the Hamptons. Southern Charm was a group of whites who hunted cats in Charleston. They thought, ‘Why are many programs so segregated?’

‘They decided that there needed to be more representation across the dial. And they did.’

Cohen was also asked about McSweeney’s lawsuit alleging that he and the entire network fostered a “rotten” work culture and that he and other producers constantly encouraged them to drink alcohol while filming.

A representative for Cohen previously told Dailymail.com that “the allegations against Andy are completely false.”

In his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Andy said his lawyers advised him not to respond to certain allegations. However, he emphasized that no one is forced to consume alcohol during production.

‘What I will say about alcohol is that we have a lot of sober people and people who have become sober on the show, like Countess Luann. [de Lesseps],’ He explained.

‘We have people who have never drunk during the whole show. Jill Zarin. Kandi Burris. Heather Dubrow will only have a glass of champagne once in a while. So there are surely people who drink. There are many people who never drink.

‘We don’t force anyone to do anything. But no one secretly hides liquor bottles on set. That’s ridiculous. “We have been very supportive of people’s sobriety.”

Amid these recent allegations against Bravo, including sexual harassment claims from former Housewives Brandi Glanville and Caroline Manzo, Bethenny Frankel continues to criticize the network for fostering a toxic environment for women.

Andy called the criticism “hurtful” and stated that he has no regrets about the way he has behaved during his years on Bravo.

‘I am incredibly proud of the close relationships I have built in my 20 years at the network. I am very proud of what we have built and everyone who has been a part of it. “I think most of the people involved in these programs have been very grateful to the platform, but there will always be some who complain,” he stated.

‘Obviously, it’s no fun being a target. So yes, it is painful. But I don’t regret the way I’ve handled anything. I believe that everything that happens in your life informs the next thing that happens in your life.

‘That’s how I see all of this. I know what the truth is and I know how I have behaved, and I stand firm in that sense every day.’