- - “She Was Screaming at My Staff”: Andy Cohen Details Explosive Backstage Incident With Jillian Michaels

Miu von FurstenbergJanuary 28, 2026 at 2:03 AM

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Andy Cohen is opening up about one of the most difficult celebrity encounters in Watch What Happens Live history. The Bravo host recently reflected on fitness trainer Jillian Michaels‘ controversial 2013 appearance on his late-night talk show, which ended with an explosive backstage confrontation.

According to Cohen, things took a dramatic turn once the cameras stopped rolling. The interview may have appeared civil on air, but what happened behind the scenes told a completely different story.

“She left and she was screaming at my staff,” Cohen recalled to Entertainment Weekly. “And if you scream at my staff, that’s kind of it for me.”

LOS ANGELES – AUG 8: Andy Cohen at the FOX TCA Summer 2017 Party at the Soho House on August 8, 2017 in West Hollywood, CA. Photo Credit: depositphotos.com

The late-night host has never shied away from discussing the incident. During a previous “Ask Andy” segment, he elaborated on the disturbing behavior. “She freaked out after the show and she was so mean to my staff,” Cohen explained. “She was yelling at them like they were on ‘The Biggest Loser.'”

Despite extensive efforts to understand what triggered Michaels’ reaction, Cohen and his team came up empty-handed. “We watched the episode like it was the freakin’ Zapruder film, like trying to figure out what set her off or what she was unhappy with,” he said. “We never figured it out, but I never want to see her again.”

The Watch What Happens Live host has been adamant about not welcoming Michaels back to his show. When asked recently about the possibility of another appearance, Cohen made his position clear. “I don’t think there’s a market for that,” he stated. “By the way, I don’t think she would come.”

Personal trainer Jillian Michaels at the 5th Biennial Stand Up To Cancer held at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, USA on September 9, 2016 — Photo by PopularImages/depositphotos.com

However, Michaels has offered her own version of events. The fitness personality told Us Weekly in 2019 that Cohen was “extremely rude” to her before the interview even began. She claimed the host spoke to her condescendingly while explaining how to participate in the show’s signature “shotski” drinking game.

“He turns around again over his shoulder and looks at me and goes, ‘Do … you … understand?'” Michaels recounted. “And this was before the show started. And it’s live! So you can’t leave.”

The tension between Andy Cohen and Jillian Michaels has only escalated over the years. In 2018, Michaels made headlines when she criticized the Real Housewives franchise during a Life & Style interview. “I hate that s—. I never watch it,” she declared. “I hate watching women tear each other apart. Anybody who watches it, shame on you.”

Jillian Michaels at arrivals for 2015 NBC Universal Cable Entertainment Upfront – Part 2, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY May 14, 2015. Photo By: Gregorio T. Binuya/Everett Collection — Photo by everett225/depositphotos.com

She went even further with her criticism of Cohen himself. “It’s like [the franchise] was created by someone that hates women!” Michaels said. “I mean, the guy hates them. He’s an a–hole.”

Cohen responded to the attacks by defending his work and suggesting Michaels “stay in her own lane.” The feud continued in 2019 when Cohen named Michaels his “Jackhole of the Day” after she criticized the keto diet. “Don’t feel bad, keto diet,” Cohen said during the segment. “A lot of people think Jillian Michaels is a bad idea.”

Michaels later told the Skimm’d From the Couch podcast that Cohen “is just not a nice guy.” She added, “I had a really crappy experience with him on his show.”

September 07, 2018: Jillian Michaels at the 2018 Stand Up To Cancer fundraiser at Barker Hangar, Santa Monica Airport. — Photo by Featureflash/depositphotos.com

The bitter dispute shows no signs of resolution. Both Cohen and Michaels have repeatedly doubled down on their positions. Meanwhile, the fitness guru confirmed to Us Weekly that the two haven’t been on friendly terms for years. “We’ve not been friendly for years,” she stated flatly.

This ongoing feud serves as a reminder that even in the entertainment world, some bridges are burned beyond repair. Cohen’s recollection of yelling and screaming backstage has cemented the 2013 Watch What Happens Live appearance as one of the most uncomfortable moments in the show’s history.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”