Andy Cohen Regrets Speculating About Kate Middleton: 'I Wish I Had Kept My Mouth Shut'

Last month, the Bravo host chimed in on the speculation surrounding Kate's whereabouts, prior to her announcing her cancer diagnosis.

Andy Cohen is eating his words, after his prior speculation about Kate Middleton.

On Monday's episode of SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live, Cohen began the show by reacting to the news of the Princess of Wales' cancer diagnosis, and admitting that he should not have added to the internet chatter regarding her whereabouts.

"We've been off the air for a week. I just want to say, I am heartbroken by the news about Princess Kate," the 55-year-old executive producer said. "And I think someone on Sky News called me a 'numpty' during that whole conversation and they were right."

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Cohen's co-host, John Hill, chimed in, saying, "They were right. They were right."

The Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen host added that it would have been better if he avoided speaking about the topic.

"They were right and of course, I wish I had kept my mouth shut and we are all praying for Princess Kate and King Charles," he said. "And so, I just had to say that right at the beginning. It's the first opportunity back in front of a live microphone."

On March 18, after the video of Kate and her husband, Prince William, shopping at a farmers market near their home was released, Cohen joined a slew of commenters on the internet speculating the validity of the princess' presence, as she had not been seen in public in months.

"That ain't Kate....," Cohen wrote on X (formally known as Twitter).

On March 22, Kate emotionally revealed in a video shared by Buckingham Palace that she was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer, which was caught following the planned abdominal surgery in January, that has kept her away from the public eye for the last several months. 

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Kate's announcement came a month after King Charles III revealed that he was also seeking treatment for cancer, which was caught amid a routine prostate exam. 

In the months that followed the palace's initial statement confirming that Kate would be stepping away from public duties, the internet began to speculate the cause. Things ramped up when the princess admitted to a Photoshop fail, following the release of a Mother's Day photo, which was doctored and pulled by some photo agencies, due to claims the image was manipulated.

Following the news of her diagnosis, other celebrities apologized for speculating. Blake Lively took to her Instagram Story to publicly apologize, after poking fun of the Photoshop controversy.

"I'm sure no one cares today but I feel like I have to acknowledge this," Lively wrote on Instagram. "I made a silly post around the 'photoshop fails' frenzy, and oh man, that post has me mortified today. I'm sorry. Sending love and well wishes to all, always."

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The women of The View also walked back previous comments and conspiracies that became a collective talk of the table amid Kate's absence.

Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Shannen Doherty -- who has been public with her longtime battle with cancer -- took to Instagram to share her frustrations with the chatter surrounding Kate, amid her private health battle.

"Being a public figure does not mean the public owns that person. We ALL have the right to go thru illness or life privately," Doherty wrote on Instagram. "The onslaught of conspiracy theories, ownership and plain morbid curiosity forced this person to explain herself before she had come to terms with it and explained to her children."

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Since sharing the news of her diagnosis, Kate -- who was originally expected to make her return to public life after the Easter holiday -- has continued to remain out of the spotlight. Kate, William and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, spent the holiday in their country home.

Last week, royal expert Katie Nicholl spoke to ET and revealed that Kate and William will use their kid's Easter break to spend time together as a family.

"They have three weeks of Easter holidays with the children and I think the plans are... to lay low, to hunker down, to enjoy this time as a family," Nicholl shared. "They won't be photographed, they won't be seen, and they know that where they are, they're very well protected by the locals, and they can really enjoy a proper family holiday."

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