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Andy Cohen Reveals to Hoda Kotb Why He Was ‘Fortunate’ Enough to Choose Surrogacy Over Adoption for Baby Benjamin
Fatherhood is something that Andy Cohen always knew he wanted to experience. Since welcoming his first child, baby son Benjamin Allen Cohen, on February 4, the Watch What Happens Live! host has gushed several times about what it’s been like to become a first-time dad but during a new appearance on the Today show on Thursday, February 19, Andy opened up about a new aspect of his journey.
“I was fortunate to have the means to be able to [have a baby as a single dad]. It can be expensive and complicated,” the 50-year-old explained to coanchors Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie of choosing surrogacy rather than adoption. “And I just said, ‘I’m going to do this, I’m going to try to do this,’ and I did.”
The three got on the subject when Hoda, 54 — who adopted her daughter, Haley Joy, in early 2017 — asked Andy why he chose surrogacy over adoption. “It’s incredible to me as I’ve now learned that surrogacy is illegal in many states and I don’t understand why it’s illegal in New York and New Jersey, which is why I went to California,” the Bravo star said. “That’s where my wonderful surrogate was, who I owe so much to.” He added, “It’s also illegal for gay people to adopt in certain places.”
However, Andy wouldn’t let anything hold him back from reaching a dream he’d been thinking about pursuing for years. “It was always in the back of my head, and I’d be at friends’ houses and they’d be tucking in their kids and I was like, ‘I need this in my life,'” Andy recalled. “I was getting to a point in my life where I was looking at where am I going and where am I headed and what do I want for the rest of my life?”
Even though he’s becoming a dad later in his life, Andy commended Hoda for also welcoming a child in her early 50s. “Once I decided to do it, I was in. You were a great help to me and inspiring to me as you and I talked about it, Hoda,” the handsome stud admitted. “I was also wondering, ‘Can I do this at this moment in my life?’ I’m 50, let’s be real here.”
Hoda wasn’t his only source of parenting inspiration, though. The single father revealed that writing his two autobiographical diaries also had a key role in his decision to have a child. “Publishing two books that were diaries about my life really caused me to look at how I was living my life every day,” Andy noted. “I published three years of my diaries. I was like, ‘Wow, I could keep putting the same book out every year or I could do something different. I don’t think this is all there is for me.’” We’re so happy for you, Andy!
