Andy Cohen Admits He Thought ‘Real Housewives’ Star Was Done After 1 Season

Andy Cohen admitted he didn’t think Jenna Lyons would return to “The Real Housewives of New York City.”

Lyons was a main cast member on the rebooted version of the Bravo reality show that debuted in July 2023. But some of her later actions made it appear she was going to be a one-season and done Housewife.

In March 2024, Variety reported that Lyons would return for a second season of RHONY alongside Erin Lichy, Sai De Silva, Jessel Taank, Ubah Hassan, and Brynn Whitfield.

Speaking with Us Weekly in May 2024, Cohen admitted Lyons’ return status was touch and go for a bit. “[To be honest], I didn’t think she was going to want to come back,” the Bravo host said of the former J. Crew president/executive creative director. “I hoped in the best possible world we would get her back as a ‘friend,’ but she wanted to come back full throttle and I’m so glad she did.”

Cohen also promised a “really good” upcoming RHONY season with Lyons on board. “I was in a meeting today, kind of a status report about what’s going on,” he told the outlet. “I’m really excited.”

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There Were Signs That Jenna Lyons Wasn’t Interested in Returning to RHONY

Lyons, 55, was certainly not a typical Real Housewives star when she joined the franchise. She shied away from sharing too much of her personal life and flew separately from her co-stars for a cast trip to Anguilla because she “didn’t want to fly coach” with the other ladies. She also did not join her co-stars at BravoCon in Las Vegas in November 2023.

Of her decision to skip the Bravo fan fest, Lyons told Entertainment Tonight, “I had some really important things to do, like twiddle my thumbs.”  She then clarified that she had an “event” and wasn’t able to fly to Vegas in time for the Bravo fan convention.

Cohen later told the outlet, “Her not being a BravoCon is not any great statement on her relationship to the show or with us. We have a great relationship and I hope she comes back.”

But Lyons cast more doubt on her return during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” in late November 2023. When Fallon asked her if she would return to “The Real Housewives” next season, Lyons cracked, “No, I thought I was gonna be hosting ‘Jimmy Fallon’ with you.”

She then got serious. “I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t have an answer, I genuinely don’t know.”

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Jenna Lyons Had 1 Big Condition Regarding Her Return to RHONY

Once she did make her decision to return to RHONY, Lyons had several conditions—and one major one. According to The New York Times, she had a non-negotiable request that was granted by producers. “I have a relationship, but I would like to not name her. I want to keep her out of the press,” Lyons told the outlet. “That is my commitment to her. It’s off the table. I joined this process. She did not.”

According to People magazine, Lyons is in a committed relationship with photographer Cass Bird.

Lyons shared that in addition to keeping her personal life with Bird off-camera, she wanted to lessen the focus on her son. Lyons was previously married to artist Vincent Mazeau and she shares a teen son, Beckett, with him, per BravoTV.com.

“There was a lot of filming in the home, and it was just exhausting. It’s so disruptive,” she told The  New York Times of her first season on RHONY. “They were very open to reducing that exposure and not having so much ‘home time.’ My son is prepping for college. It’s a very intense time.”

“I wasn’t sure. Definitely not sure,” Lyons added of her decision to return to the Bravo reality show.

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