Andy Cohen Celebrated His Son’s First Birthday with a Sweet Photo of the Day He Was Born

From Prevention

• Andy Cohen recently celebrated his son’s first birthday.

• The Watch What Happens Live host shared an Instagram photo of the day Benjamin Allen was born.

• As a single LGBTQ parent, Cohen emphasizes that “families come in all forms” and that he’s “grateful” to his surrogate.

February 4 is forever changed for Andy Cohen. In 2019, it was the day he met his son, Benjamin Allen, for the first time. To commemorate his first birthday, the Watch What Happens Live host shared an adorable photo from moments after his arrival on Instagram.

“One year ago tonight, I sat alone in a hospital room with my newborn son pondering our future,” he captioned the post. “I didn’t know then how his smile would brighten my day, what simple joy each new progression of his growth would bring, and most of all what a lovely boy he would become. I am so grateful to my surrogate in California who made this all possible, and for every day of our first year... and can’t wait for the next. Happy Birthday sweet little Ben.”

Friends, family, and fans gushed over the sweet memory. “Feels like yesterday,” his good friend Kelly Ripa wrote. “There really is nothing sweeter,” Donny Osmond commented. “Happy birthday Ben!” The account for Bravo TV chimed in: “February 4th (and our lives) will never be the same. Happy birthday baby Ben!”

The Watch What Happens crew also threw the little guy a birthday party, and shared a video of everyone singing Happy Birthday. “Cutest baby alive and Bravolebrity-In-Training!” the caption read. According to Cohen’s Instagram Story, the party was complete with a rainbow layered cake from Sugarees Bakery.

On his Story, he took his followers through some more details about the day Ben was born. “I waited in the hospital for the arrival of my son with my best friend Bruce and my incredible surrogate,” Cohen wrote over a picture of them in the delivery room. “I was so nervous and so emotional,” he added. “I was in and out of tears most of the day.” At 6:30 p.m., Ben arrived, “and everything changed,” Cohen wrote.

He ended the trip down memory lane with a call to action as a single parent. “Families come in all forms,” he wrote. “And I’m grateful to my surrogate for helping make mine a reality. I’m also hopeful we can make surrogacy legal in NY state so other couples and LGBTQ fam can have the same experience.”

Surrogacy law varies among all U.S. states, and in some places where it’s legal, it can still be challenging to accomplish for some parents. According to surrogacy agency Creative Family Connections, surrogacy is permitted for all parents in Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, Rhode Island, Vermont, and California.

According to People, Cohen “worked with an organization that helps you find the egg donor and the surrogate, and you kind of package the whole process.” After Ben’s delivery, Cohen cut the umbilical cord himself and went skin-to-skin with his newborn. “He was so alert for the first two hours. His eyes were wide open. He didn’t cry; he was just calm,” Cohen said. “I kind of have no words for it.”

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