Andrew Cuomo’s Advice to Dads: Say You Like Your Daughter's Boyfriend, Even If You Don't

The New York governor has three daughters.

Andrew Cuomo is giving dads everywhere some advice. During his Sunday press conference, the 62-year-old governor of New York discussed how he reacts to his daughters' boyfriends. The politician and his ex-wife, Kerry Kennedy, share Mariah, 25, Cara, 25, and Michaela, 22.

"The boyfriend is very nice and we like the boyfriend," began of Mariah's boyfriend, Tellef Lundevall. "Advice to fathers: The answer on what you think of the boyfriend is always, 'I like the boyfriend.' Always."

"Because there are only two options: either you like the boyfriend in which case you say, 'I like the boyfriend,' or you don't like the boyfriend. But you can never say you don't like the boyfriend," he continued. "I learned this lesson the hard way." 

The dad of three went on to joke that if dads don't like their daughter's boyfriend "it triggers NDS; NDS is natural defiance syndrome." 

"It’s not documented, but it is a psychological condition where if you say as a father 'I don’t like him,' natural defiance syndrome kicks in and then they like the boyfriend more because he is opposed by the father," he explained. "So the answer has to be 'I like the boyfriend.' In this case I actually like the boyfriend. But even if you don't like the boyfriend, the answer can only be that I like the boyfriend."

Andrew, his three children, and Tellef all gathered for dinner together on Sunday, which he shared a photo of on Instagram.

"We're going to be at dinner with the boyfriend and we're going to have our spaghetti and meatballs," he said. "They won’t eat the spaghetti and the meatballs because when I cook it they just won’t eat it. But they move it around the dish and that’s all I can ask."

"I'm going to recall to them how important that meal was on Sundays to have the family together, to take the time to sit and to talk and to reconnect," he added. "People talk about the Italians and they love the food, yeah they love the food, but the food was just the magnet to get the family to the table. It was just the device to get people to spend two hours at the table. And that's where you talked and you went through the week."

 

While Andrew was discussing his relationship with his daughters this time, the internet has been focused on his connection with his brother, Chris Cuomo, as of late. Chris, the younger Cuomo brother, is currently battling the coronavirus along with his wife, Cristina Cuomo.

The pair have made headlines for their loving, on-air bickering, but a source recently told ET that the brothers both take their jobs "very seriously."

"Both brothers know the responsibility they have during this global crisis and they take their jobs seriously," the source said. "Chris has lighthearted moments during interviews with his brother, but isn’t afraid to ask him tough questions and hold him accountable. They both respect what the other does, and both are extremely proud of one another despite the ribbing."

Watch the video below for more on the Cuomo brothers.

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