NEWSJeff Lewis Confronts Millionaire Andy Cohen Over 'Cheap' Babysitter Payments
Jeff Lewis called Andy Cohen cheap for only paying his babysitter $30 an hour.
Oct. 2 2026, Updated 7:55 a.m. ET
Jeff Lewis questioned Andy Cohen's decision to pay his babysitter $30 an hour after learning what the Bravo star gave the young woman to watch his two children.
"That sounds cheap to me," Lewis told Cohen during the September 28 episode of Andy Cohen Live. "Especially from someone with your money!"
Cohen Explained What He Paid
Andy Cohen revealed the babysitter was watching his son, Ben, and daughter, Lucy.
The exchange began after Cohen revealed that a 23-year-old babysitter had recently looked after his children, 7-year-old Ben and 4-year-old Lucy.
The Watch What Happens Live host traced the arrangement to a family connection and explained how the young woman came to take the job.
"A good friend of mine's daughter — an old friend, my oldest friend — his daughter just moved to New York," Cohen explained. "He goes, 'She needs babysitting money. She needs jobs.'"
The two had not discussed a specific rate beforehand. Cohen later asked the sitter to send him her Venmo information and settled on $30 an hour.
Lewis quickly questioned the amount.
"She was there for two hours, and you gave her 60 bucks? Did that even cover the cab?" the Flipping Out alum asked.
The Babysitter Stayed Longer
Andy Cohen adjusted the total payment to $70, but Jeff Lewis insisted he would have paid $100.
Cohen then clarified that the payment was higher than Lewis initially assumed.
"She was there for two hours and fifteen minutes, so I gave her $70," the father-of-two explained.
That still did not satisfy the interior designer, who indicated he would have spent more for the same arrangement.
"I probably would've given her $100 for two hours [and] two kids," Lewis countered.
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Lewis Pays More for One Child
Jeff Lewis justified his criticism by revealing he pays $37 an hour just for his one daughter.
The difference became clearer when Lewis revealed what he pays for his own childcare.
The television personality said his babysitter receives $37 an hour to watch his 9-year-old daughter, Monroe, whom he shares with his ex Gage Edward.
Cohen Defended the Rate
Andy Cohen later admitted that radio backlash made him feel like a cheapskate, prompting him to research local rates.
The discussion continued after the radio exchange, with Cohen addressing the reaction in an interview when he attended the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame Awards the following night.
Cohen explained that he had checked with friends who also have children before settling on the $30 hourly rate.
Asked if the exchange had left him feeling like a cheapskate, Cohen replied, "I wasn't till we started talking about it on the radio. You're making me feel like one."
The radio host added that he planned to ask more people about the going rate before deciding what to pay going forward.
