Andy Cohen Talks Fatherhood and Son's East End Aunties

Shelter Islander Andy Cohen has gotten his first taste of fatherhood, and he is absolutely enamored with Benjamin Allen. On February 16, he spoke with People Editor-in-Chief Jess Cagle about the learning process and the lovely East End ladies who’ve helped him along the way.

Cohen’s appearance on PeopleTV’s The Jess Cagle Interview marked the first time he’s posed for photos with Benjamin, who looked completely content swaddled in his father’s arms. Cohen said he was hoping for a baby with a full head of hair and seeing the luscious locks in the delivery room gave him an incredible, joyous feeling. When asked what he looks forward to in Benjamin’s life he said, “Taking him to the beach, his first day of school, taking him to a Cardinals game, taking him to a Grateful Dead concert,” and more of those little moments.

He’s already learned how innate parenting is: when a child cries you pick him up, and if he continues to cry you start to rock and sway. However, there’s still certain things that Cohen needs advice on, as would any first-time parent. Thankfully, he’s surrounded by an army of women to support him, such as the Real Housewives, Southamptonite Kelly Ripa and Bridgehamptonite Sarah Jessica Parker.

“Kelly Ripa helped me find my baby nurse, who’s incredible,” Cohen told Cagle. “Sarah Jessica sat with me for three hours on a Saturday and helped me do my registry. And she lent me clothes and burp cloths that she had saved from her kids. She labeled them all. She left me a big plastic container full of things that she knew I would need.”

A special moment, he told Cagle, was when he announced he was going to be a father on Watch What Happens Live on December 28, and the Housewives all stood up to surround and congratulate him. “The Housewives have given me a lot of advice,” Cohen says. “All their mom instincts came out. As loud and funny and aggressive and wild and dramatic and everything you want to say about the Housewives, as much of all that as they are, they’re all moms, pretty much. And they’re all good moms.”

Cohen wants his son to have an army of strong and supportive women by his side for the coming years, and it looks like his celebrity mom friends are up to the task. However, Benjamin won’t be allowed to watch his aunties on the Real Housewives anytime soon, which is probably for the best.

See the full interview with Andy Cohen on PeopleTV.