Andy Cohen Speaks On Tonight's New Jersey Housewives Reunion With "The Hollywood Reporter"

THR.com:

THR: In July 2009, THR reported that salary negotiations for the cast of "RHNY" prompted Bravo to recast certain housewives. Are these scenarios unavoidable?

Cohen: Look, ["Flipping Out" star] Jeff Lewis will e-mail me every week and say, "Oh, the ratings were great last night; I guess this means I get a raise." There have been situations when housewives have wanted to have frank talks about salary, and I say, "If you really want to have this conversation, let's have it." I have the benefit of knowing the research, knowing the ratings and knowing how much it costs to make every show. I give them my perspective.

THR: In the finale of MTV's "The Hills," producers suggested to viewers that the show was scripted. What response do you have for critics who say the same about "Housewives"?

Cohen: Whenever anyone wonders about whether these shows are real, I tell them, "If you were to tell me that Jeana [Keough] from 'Real Housewives of Orange County' was going to split from her husband while we were shooting, I wouldn't have believed you. You never know what road the show is going down.

THR: The most recent addition to the franchise, "Real Housewives of D.C.," premiered Aug. 5 with an extra tinge of scandal by adding White House party crasher Michaele Salahi to the cast -- who also recently accused "The View" co-host Whoopi Goldberg of assault. To what degree do you get involved with these incidents?

Cohen: We don't editorialize. If someone says on the show, "I'm the best mother in the world" and then the next scene you see her smoking a cigarette and blowing smoke in her daughter's face, that says it. We let viewers decide. What we're really involved in are the stories. We let them deal with their own stuff.

THR: During the reunion specials and on your talk show, it seems you aren't afraid to voice your own opinion of things.

Cohen: Any opinion I have usually reflects viewer opinion. During the "Real Housewives of New York" reunion, I was hammering Jill with questions because I knew fans weren't going to be happy until she responded. Surprisingly, it was [onscreen frenemy] Bethenny that came to her defense and said, "Why don't you just nail her to a stake and burn her?"

THR: Speaking of the reunion shows, it's almost a guarantee that one of your wives will storm off the set. Do producers have to coax them back on?

Cohen: Typically, they come back on their own accord. We had a situation with Danielle that viewers will see [tonight] where I had to talk her off the ledge, bring her back and negotiate with the other women.