>>> WE ARE BACK WITH TODAY’S TALKER.
TALKER. HIS NAME IS ANDY COHEN.
15 DAYS AGO ANDY BECAME A FATHER
WITH THE ARRIVAL OF HIS SON
BENJAMIN ALLEN, AND WE JUST
CANNOT.
CANNOT. NINE POUNDS, TWO OUNCES,
20 INCHES LONG, AND JUST TOTALLY
ADORABLE.
ADORABLE. >> OH, MY GOSH, SO HOW IS LIFE
WITH THIS ADORABLE BUNDLE?
ANDY COHEN IS IN OUR STUDIO.
>> HI.
>> HI. >> HI LADIES.
>> HI ANDY.
I WALKED ONTO THE SET THIS
MORNING, AND I WAS LIKE OH, THIS
IS SOME MOMMY SEGMENT.
WHERE’S MY SET?
WHERE’S THE BAR?
>> THIS IS YOURS.
>> NO SHOTSKI’S HERE MY FRIEND.
>> YOU’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
HAVING A CHILD FOR A LONG TIME.
>> I HAVE.
>> IS THERE A MOMENT WHEN THE
LIGHTS WENT ON AND YOU SAID
YEAH?
YEAH? I’M GOING TO DO THIS.
>> IT WAS ALWAYS IN THE BACK OF
MY HEAD, AND I WOULD BE AT
FRIENDS’ HOUSES AND THEY WERE
TUCKING IN THEIR KIDS.
AND I WAS LIKE I NEED THIS IN MY
LIFE.
LIFE. AND I THINK 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.
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. >> AND WRITING -- PUBLISHING TWO
BOOKS THAT WERE DIARIES ABOUT MY
LIFE REALLY CAUSED ME TO LOOK AT
HOW I WAS LIVING MY LIFE EVERY
DAY, AND I PUBLISHED THREE YEARS
OF MY DIARIES, AND 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.
SO THAT HAD A REALLY PROFOUND
EFFECT ON ME, TOO.
IT CAUSED ME TO LOOK AT MY LIFE
IN A WAY THAT I HAD NEVER DONE.
>> TALK ABOUT THE MOMENT YOU
LAID EYES ON LITTLE BENJAMIN.
>> WELL, THE HEAD OF HAIR WAS
THE FIRST THING THAT CAME OUT.
THAT’S -- THERE WE ARE.
THAT’S KIND OF MINUTES AFTER HE
WAS BORN.
WAS BORN. HE WAS SO ALERT AND HIS EYES
WERE OPEN AND WE WERE JUST KIND
OF GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
IT WAS JUST INCREDIBLE.
I CAN NEVER DESCRIBE IT, AND THE
SKIN TO SKIN TWO HOURS WAS JUST
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE. >> YOU’RE WHISPERING TO HIM.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU’RE
SAYING?
SAYING? >> I’M LYING HI, I’M YOUR DAD.
WHO ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, YEAH.
SWEET.
SWEET. >> OH, MY GOD, I DON’T EVEN
KNOW.
KNOW. WE HAD TALKED, YOU AND I HAD
TALKED A WHILE AGO.
IT REALLY STUCK WITH ME WHEN WE
TALKED AND YOU SAID, HEY, YOU
ADOPTED I WAS WONDERING, I’M
THINKING ABOUT WHAT PATH TO GO
DOWN.
DOWN. YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EITHER
ADOPTION OR A SURROGATE.
YOU WEREN’T SURE.
HOW DID YOU DECIDE LIKE WHAT
WORKED THE BEST FOR YOU?
>> YOU KNOW, I JUST I WAS
FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE MEANS TO
BE ABLE TO -- IT CAN BE
EXPENSIVE AND COMPLICATED, AND I
JUST SAID, I’M GOING TO DO THIS.
I’M GOING TO TRY TO DO THIS AND
I DID.
I DID. 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.
CALIFORNIA. THAT’S WHERE MY WONDERFUL
SURROGATE WAS WHO I OWE SO MUCH
TO, AND SO I I DON’T REALLY
UNDERSTAND THAT.
UNDERSTAND THAT. IT’S ALSO ILLEGAL FOR GAY PEOPLE
TO ADOPT IN CERTAIN PLACES, SO
IT’S STILL VERY COMPLICATED AND
CHALLENGING, BUT I JUST -- ONCE
I DECIDED TO DO IT, I WAS IN,
AND YOU WERE A GREAT HELP TO ME,
AND INSPIRING TO ME AS YOU AND I
TALKED ABOUT IT, HODA.
AND I WAS ALSO WONDERING CAN I
DO THIS AT THIS MOMENT IN MY
LIFE.
LIFE. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> I’M 50.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY. LET’S BE REAL HERE.
>> BUT YOU’RE USED TO BEING UP
ALL NIGHT.
ALL NIGHT. >> I AM.
>> I AM. >> JUST FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
>> THE TRUTH IS EVERYONE’S LIKE
OH, ARE YOU NOT SLEEPING?
I HAVEN’T SLEPT IN 30 YEARS.
IT’S A DIFFERENT KIND OF NOT
SLEEPING.
SLEEPING. >> HAVE YOU -- I MEAN, I KNOW
YOU’RE PROBABLY JUST LIKE
SURVIVING BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT
IT’S LIKE TO HAVE A NEWBORN,
BOTTLE, FEED, DADA DA, BUT HAVE
YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGES IN
YOURSELF, OR HAVE YOU KIND OF
LIKE SEEN A SIDE OF YOURSELF YOU
DIDN’T REALLY KNOW?
>> THERE’S A COMFORT IN KNOWING
THAT HE’S THERE WAITING FOR ME.
I WENT OUT FOR MY FIRST NIGHT
AWAY FROM HIM JUST TO DINNER
WITH FRIENDS THE OTHER NIGHT,
AND I WAS SITTING THERE, AND I
REALIZED, WOW, I LOVE IT THAT
HE’S THERE AT HOME FOR ME.
IT’S AN ANCHOR.
IT’S MY FAMILY, AND THAT JUST --
I WAS LIKE, WOW, I LOVE THIS
FEELING.
FEELING. >> I REMEMBER ASKING MARIA
SHRIVER, WHEN HALEY WAS A
NEWBORN, I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO
DO WITH HER WHEN SHE WASN’T
EATING OR POOPING OR SLEEPING.
MARIA GOES WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
I DON’T KNOW, I’M JUST PLAYING
WITH HER.
WITH HER. SHE GOES YOU KNOW WHAT, I’M
GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME ADVICE.
SHE NEEDS WHAT YOU NEED, TO BE
LOOKED AT, TO BE TALKED TO, TO
BE LOVED, TO BE LISTENED TO.
BASIC STUFF, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN
IT WAS LIKE A LIGHT BULB WENT
OFF.
OFF. >> I LOOK AT HIM THE WAY I USED
TO LOOK AT INSTAGRAM.
I JUST SIT AND STARE AT HIM.
I’M LIKE, WELL, THIS IS MUCH
MORE INTERESTING THAN LOOKING AT
A BUNCH OF HOT GUYS ON MY FEED.
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> YOU KNOW?
>> YES.
>> YES. DID YOU GET ANY GOOD ADVICE LIKE
FROM THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OR
ANYTHING?
ANYTHING? >> THE HOUSEWIVES HAVE -- BY THE
WAY, ISN’T IT CUTE THAT MEGHAN
MARKLE CAME TO NEW YORK TO HAVE
A BABY SHOWER?
I REDEFINED THE BABY SHOWER, YOU
KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
>> YOU SET THE BAR, BABY.
>> HONESTLY.
>> HONESTLY. >> NOW IT’S LIKE A RAGE.
>> THAT IS INCREDIBLE.
THE HOUSEWIVES HAVE BEEN REALLY
INCREDIBLE.
INCREDIBLE. THEY’RE ALL -- YOU KNOW, THE
TRUTH IS WITH ALL THE NOISE AND
ALL THE DRAMA, THEY’RE ALL MOST
OF THEM MOMS.
>> MOMS, RIGHT.
>> AND THEY’RE GREAT MOMS, AND
THERE YOU GO.
THAT’S HOW YOU DO A BABY SHOWER.
>> WAIT UNTIL BENJAMIN SEES
THIS.
THIS. >> GOOD, I CAN’T WAIT FOR HIM TO
SEE IT.
SEE IT. >> ANDY WE HAVE JUST A LITTLE
GIFT.
GIFT. WE MADE YOU A LITTLE CARE
PACKAGE.
PACKAGE. MR. MELVIN’S GOT IT FOR US.
>> SOME DUDS FOR BENJAMIN.
>> THANK YOU.
>> CONGRATULATIONS.
>> CONGRATULATIONS. >> PRODUCT PLACEMENT.
>> OH, IT’S ALL "TODAY" SHOW
SWAG.
SWAG. >> OF COURSE IT IS.
>> HOW GENEROUS.
>> IT’S FREE.
>> WE LOVE YOU, ANDY.
>> ANDY, THANK YOU.
>> OH, IS IT GOING TO BE BEN OR
BENJI OR BENJAMIN?