Andy Cohen Addresses Orlando Mass Shooting on 'WWHL': 'This Gay American is Going to Try to Put a Smile On You
Andy Cohen is dealing with a devastating tragedy by soldering on.
The 48-year-old Watch What Happens Live! host opened his Bravo show on Sunday night with a heartfelt message, directly addressing the mass shooting at a LGBT nightclub early Sunday morning that left 50 people dead.
"The Pulse nightclub in Orlando, like other gay clubs, was a place where people went to not just feel like they could really be themselves, but to find community and safety, and to have that freedom shattered by the most deadly mass shooting in our country's history is unfathomable," Cohen said, speaking directly to the camera.
Cohen rallied the LGBT community to stay strong.
"This month is Pride month for the LGBT community and as we have been so brutally reminded today, it’s about more than parties and parades -- it is also a celebration of our civil rights," he said. "There are people who wish that we do not exist but we do. And it is with a great deal of pride that this gay American is going to try to put a smile on your face at the end of a sad day, in this clubhouse where everyone is welcome and everyone is loved."
Cohen already reacted to the tragedy earlier on social media, calling for gun control.
"If we can't get rid of guns can we please end homophobia?" he tweeted.
"Getting rid of AK-47s certainly isn't going to hurt anybody," he also responded to a user who tweeted him that "getting rid of guns isn't the solution."
ET talked to Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Vanderpump at L.A. Pride Parade in West Hollywood, California, on Sunday, where she also commented on the shocking tragedy.
"I think the most important thing is courage in the face of adversity," the 55-year-old reality star told ET exclusively. "Now is the time we stand together and unite."
"I've had gay restaurants, bars, clubs, and I've known the gay community to be a kind, peaceful community that embrace one another… such a heinous act is devastating," she added.
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