Arts & Entertainment
Britney Spears gets freaky on stage with Andy Cohen
The pop star may not have known who she was talking to
Britney Spears on stage with Andy Cohen. (Screenshot via Just Jared/Facebook)
Britney Spears got freaky with Andy Cohen on stage during her show at Radio City Music Hall but the singer may not have known exactly who the “Watch What Happens Live” host is.
Cohen is brought on stage for Spears’ “Freakshow” segment of the show. Plenty of S&M antics ensue including Spears’ dancers tying him up, instructing Cohen to crawl on the ground and getting whipped by Spears herself.
At the end of the performance, Spears tells the crowd “I think you all know who this is. Give it up for him.” Cohen gets on his knees and bows down to her multiple times.
Some people took Spears’ comment to mean that she wasn’t sure who Cohen was.
“I don’t know her.” – Britney Spears to Andy Cohen pic.twitter.com/VraFwW9UgB
— Brittney Anyon (@brittneylately) July 25, 2018
On Cohen’s Sirius XM radio show “Radio Andy” he seemed unfazed that the pop princess may not have recognized him.
“My take on this is first of all, why would Britney know my name? She’s Britney, bitch. Like, I have no expectation,” Cohen says.”I am a mortal and Britney is Britney. I don’t [think she knows who I am]. She gave me what I want. I don’t need that Britney would consider me, that she would really know who I am. I like it that she’s like, ‘I think you know who this is, give it up for him.’ I mean, it’s pretty funny.”
“I got Mariah’d a little bit, it’s so funny,” he added.
During the segment, Spears also gives him a T-shirt and appears to sign it. Cohen admits that Spears didn’t actually sign the shirt but that didn’t stop his excitement.
“She gave me what I want, I don’t need for Britney to even really know who I am,” Cohen says. “Britney is such an icon, I just feel like I’m not worthy of her knowing my name.”
Watch the full performance below.
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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