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The Bravo host previously suggested Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga's years-long feud would negatively impact the future of RHONJ.
Andy Cohen is setting the record straight.
During Thursday's episode of his SiriusXM radio show, Andy Cohen Live, the Bravo host addressed recent comments he made about the future of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, in which he reportedly told a journalist that he believes the show is "not sustainable" amid Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga's ongoing feud.
Andy said on Thursday that he stands by his comments and further explained what he meant by them.
"Want to clear something up or want to add to a comment that I made that has made some news this week, and I don't know when I said it, but apparently, I said it to Brice from Entertainment Tonight, and I don't know when," Andy said, referring to Entertainment Tonight correspondent Brice Sander, who appeared on an episode of the Gabbing with Gib podcast last week, and recalled a conversation he said he had with the WWHL host at BravoCon.
"Apparently, I told him, and it got picked up all over the place that Jersey, the idea of having both Melissa and Teresa on the show, that it's not sustainable because they're not speaking, and there are kind of two camps on the show," he continued. "What I want to clarify is that I maintain that statement. It isn't a sustainable universe to have kind of two camps on the show."
"I think you see that with Potomac this season and why a lot of viewers, including me, were frustrated with it, but I will say this. It somehow worked this season," Andy added, referring to Season 14 of RHONJ, which premieres next month. "We got through the season, and it worked, and it's interesting, and as I think you see from the trailer, the season is not about Melissa versus Teresa, and I think that's great, yet they're both still on the show and we want to see them on the show. They're both, you know, they're both stars and they've been on the show, you know, forever, so it worked this season."
Ultimately, Andy said he "stand[s] by" his comments. "For the future, it's not sustainable. I don't want you to think that what I said was a condemnation on this season," he concluded.
As Andy noted, it's clear from the Season 14 trailer, above, that Melissa and Teresa's feud won't be the focus this season, unlike in the past.
Back in January, Melissa shared that viewers won't see much of the years-long drama between herself and her sister-in-law, revealing they don't even "look at each other" anymore.
"The biggest misconception is that it's gonna be more drama between me and my sister-in-law," she told Entertainment Tonight. "We don't even, like, look at each other."
She continued, "It is the new normal. I think it just is what it is. I always say it's unfortunate. I'll never be, like, happy about that. But we're all living, and we're happy, and sometimes things just need to take its course. Right now that's definitely how it is."
The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 14 premieres Sunday, May 5 at 8 p.m. ET.
