Andy Cohen Shrugs Off Criticism With Starbucks Message

Andy Cohen doesn’t appear to be letting any negative reactions to his now-famous New Year’s Eve outburst affect him.

“All the approval I need,” Cohen, 57, wrote on his Instagram Stories on Friday, January 2, alongside a photo of a Starbucks coffee cup with the handwritten message, “You did great yesterday.”

Cohen cohosted CNN’s New Year’s Eve show live from Times Square in New York City with his friend Anderson Cooper. Toward the end of the night, Cohen criticized Eric Adams’ time as the mayor of NYC as “chaotic.” (Adams, 65, is succeeded by Zohran Mamdani, who was sworn into office at midnight on Thursday, January 1.)

“It’s wonderful, you received your pardons. Move on. We’ll manage what we have, what you’ve left us with,” Cohen told Cooper, 58, and guest B.J. Novak. “Go celebrate. We’ll see you at all the parties. You’ve enjoyed yourselves through four years.”

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Adams quickly responded to Cohen’s comments several hours later, tweeting, “My reply to @Andy: AA.”

“Another inebriated and careless rant,” Adams wrote via X on Thursday. “If anyone truly cares about him, they should advise him to seek assistance. New Yorkers aren’t laughing with him; they are worried about him. Public intoxication is a problem. He should get help.”

The politician added, “He was secure in Times Square because we did our job. Again. Seek help. AAA: Andy’s Alcoholics Anonymous.”

Cohen, who hasn’t further addressed Adams’ criticism, and Cooper consumed tequila shots at the top of every hour during their New Year’s Eve broadcast.

“Andy, we need to stop you. I’ve witnessed this before,” Novak, 46, told the Bravo star on Thursday after Cohen’s outburst.

Cohen famously launched into a viral tirade during the 2021 show about the conclusion of Bill de Blasio’s own term as NYC mayor.

“[I’ve been] observing Mayor de Blasio perform his ‘victory lap’ after four years of the worst job as the mayor of New York,” Cohen lamented at the time. “The only thing that the Democrats and the Republicans can agree on is how terrible he has been, so farewell, loser!”

While CNN supported Cohen at the time, he later admitted that night was a bit blurry.

“[Anderson and I] got in the car after [the CNN taping] and I saw on Twitter the rant I did about de Blasio,” Cohen said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in February 2022. “I didn’t remember—though it was about 40 minutes earlier—saying, ‘Sayonara, loser’ to the departing mayor of New York.”

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He added, “It is quite enjoyable getting drunk on CNN and simply ranting on a soapbox. There were endorphins that I was releasing. I thought, ‘This is good!’”

Cohen and Cooper were subsequently prohibited from drinking alcohol during the following year’s show before the network reversed its decision in 2023.

“Well, let me say this. Around 10:45 on New Year’s Eve every year, I become the serious one of our broadcast, okay?” Cohen joked during an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last month, suggesting Cooper gets more intoxicated on air. “I am steering CNN starting at 10:45 [p.m]. It’s the truth. I hear the slur in his voice. I know his voice so well. And last year, I really did get him a little drunk on New Year’s Eve.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).