It’s the New Year, which means it’s time to reflect on everything that has already passed and make resolutions that are already starting to wither like the lemon trees in the Capri Room of the Buca Di Beppo in the ...Read more
It’s the New Year, which means it’s time to reflect on everything that has already passed and make resolutions that are already starting to wither like the lemon trees in the Capri Room of the Buca Di Beppo in the Valley. It also means it’s time for New Year’s Eve, which most sensible adults spent sitting at home trying to avoid Omicron and having to play another round of Clue Master Detective with their 7-year-olds. But not Andy Cohen. No. He spent NYE getting publicly drunk with his bestie and fellow twink-magnet (or is that magnate?) Anderson Cooper on national television. On CNN an “overserved” Cohen, who was pouring his own drinks, went after Bill de Blasio, Mark Zuckerberg, and fellow NYE host Ryan Seacrest. While this might have landed another host in hot water, it was so on-brand for Cohen that it only burnished his image and will probably make more people tune in next year. It was sort of like Mariah Carey’s famously disastrous December 31, 2017, performance except, somehow, much less gay.
But enough about Andy; we’re here for the Housewives in general. As we get ready for the year ahead in Housewifery, the Institute is taking a look at the state of the union, as it were, among our shows, as well as some things that I never want to see on our shows again. But before that, a new year means new news.

Photo credit: Bravo Productions 2022
Mention It All
Not all the news, but all the news you actually care about.
MARY, MARY, QUITE CONTRARY: As everyone who follows the Real Housewives with even a passing interest knows already, Mary M. Cosby did not attend the season-two RHOSLC reunion, which filmed last week. (Reunion looks are here, and some fans think they’re the worst-dressed cast in Housewives history.) It’s not hard to guess why. This season featured not only the cast wondering whether she ran a cult and her seemingly unprovoked rebukes of several castmates, but also at least two racist remarks. (She compared Jen Shah, who had recently been arrested, to a “Mexican thug,” and told Jennie Nguyen that she liked her “slanted eyes.”) Mary has never taken a grilling well, so there was no way she was showing up to listen to Andy Cohen go after her.
She might also be trying to avoid some other rumors. If you go deep into the internet gossip — which we do, but with grains of salt as huge as Lisa Barlow’s Big Gulp — you’ll find speculation that what Mary wanted to avoid were rumors about her relationship with Cameron Williams, Lisa’s friend who was featured on season two and recently passed away. Private Instagram account Bravo and Cocktails (I told you this was deep) claims that Mary and Cameron were having an affair for many years. I mean, I don’t believe it, but the speculation is interesting. Andy also says there is a “bombshell” in the last few episodes, so maybe that is what Mary is avoiding?