Many around the world who keep their finger on the pulse of the Royal Family were alarmed at Kate Middleton’s absence from public life over the past few months — despite word from the palace that she was recovering from surgery. Rumors continued to spread until the Princess of Wales herself released a video to reveal that she’d been diagnosed with cancer. The aftermath has seen backlash against those who made light of the situation, including Andy Cohen, who had indulged in conspiracy theories, and the What Happens Live host would like to formally apologize.
Andy Cohen’s radio show had been on hiatus since the announcement, but immediately upon his return to the airwaves, the host opened with a statement regarding Kate Middleton. He said on SiruisXM’s Andy Cohen Live:
I am heartbroken by the news about Princess Kate. I think someone on Sky News called me a ‘numpty’ during that whole conversation, and they were right. They were right, and of course I wish I’d kept my mouth shut, and we are all praying for Princess Kate and King Charles.
Leading up to Kate Middleton’s announcement, Andy Cohen had helped to fuel conspiracy rumors, tweeting, “That ain’t Kate….” when the princess allegedly made her first public appearance since undergoing abdominal surgery. He also spoke on his Daddy Diaries podcast about the Prince William affair rumors, and how it all “seems to come back to this lady Rose.”
He now seems to have some regret about his role in fueling any of the conversations surrounding the Prince and Princess of Wales as they and their three children deal with the diagnosis.
Andy Cohen isn’t the only celeb to backtrack following Kate Middleton’s news, either. Blake Lively had trolled the princess over the viral Mother’s Day Photoshop fiasco by posting a terribly doctored image to her Instagram account in promotion of her Betty Booze and Betty Buzz beverages, joking, “Now you know why I’ve been MIA.” The Gossip Girl star has since deleted the image and issued an apology, saying she was “mortified” by her “silly post” in light of the news.
Until her announcement in March, Kate Middleton hadn’t been seen publicly since Christmas Day. The Royal Family had previously stated that she would be hospitalized to undergo stomach surgery and would remain out of the limelight until April as she recovered. However, even knowing that, her absence sparked concern, which was likely compounded by King Charles III’s own cancer diagnosis.
However, the jokes and shots being taken at the royals’ expense hit different after Princess Kate’s March 22 statement, in which she revealed:
In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present.
She said her medical team had recommended a "course of preventative chemotherapy" and explained that the news had come as a huge shock to their family and had “taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that’s appropriate for them and to reassure them that I’m going to be OK.”
The speculation couldn’t have made that process any easier, so it’s good to see people like Andy Cohen coming forward to apologize for their part in the added stress.
