Anderson Cooper Says Pal Andy Cohen Is 'Paddling Really, Really Fast Under the Water' to Maintain Career

Anderson Cooper says his close pal Andy Cohen is doing a lot to stay afloat in showbiz.

via: People

The Bravo kingpin has been the subject of allegations from several former Real Housewives stars in recent months, and while he has since called the claims "hurtful," one of his closest confidants has weighed in on just how much work Cohen, 56, is doing behind the scenes.

“Every day when I turn on my phone, I see content that Andy Cohen is responsible for,” Cooper, 57, said of his friend in a new interview with Vulture. "Much more so than any late-night host."

Though Cohen "makes it look easy," Cooper said that in reality, "He is paddling really, really fast under the water.”

The "paddling" Cooper is referring to likely has to do with the outside investigation Bravo opened into Cohen — who executive produces all of The Real Housewives franchises — following several allegations of misconduct months ago. In early May, the network closed the investigation, telling PEOPLE in a statement: “The outside investigation into the recent allegations made by Brandi Glanville and Leah McSweeney against Andy Cohen has now been completed, and the claims were found to be unsubstantiated.”

At the same time, his talk show Watch What Happens Live was renewed through 2025, as were 15 of the network's other unscripted reality shows, including The Valley, Summer House and several Real Housewives shows including Beverly Hills, Orange County, Miami, New York City, Potomac and Salt Lake City.

At the end of May, the Bravo host filed to dismiss one of the claims made against him by McSweeney, who alleged that she faced sex/gender, religious and disability discrimination in a "hostile work environment" during her time on The Real Housewives of New York City.

Cohen claimed that McSweeney's allegations are "threadbare" and should be "dismissed as a matter of law."

In response to the filing, McSweeney's attorney said in a statement to PEOPLE that they "do not agree that the motion has merit."