It was March 2020. The world was falling apart, everyone was stuck in their living rooms, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was on TV every single morning. He was the "Pandemic Daddy" for a minute there. But then, he wore a white polo shirt.
Suddenly, nobody was talking about ventilators or infection rates. They were talking about his chest.
If you were on Twitter (now X) or Reddit that week, you saw the photos. Two distinct, metallic-looking bumps were poking through the fabric of his state-issued golf shirt. The Andrew Cuomo nipple piercing theory didn't just crawl out of a dark corner of the internet; it went absolutely nuclear. People were zooming in. Enhancing. Analyzing shadows like it was the Zapruder film.
The Day "Nipplegate" Took Over the Internet
It started with a press conference at the Javits Center. Cuomo doffed his black jacket to reveal a crisp, thin white polo. As he gestured toward the makeshift hospital beds, the camera caught a glimpse of what looked like heavy-gauge jewelry.
Social media lost its mind. Some people thought it was a bold "divorced guy" move—he had split from long-term partner Sandra Lee a few months prior. Others argued it was a sign of a secret, kinky double life.
✨ Don't miss: What Really Happened With the Brittany Snow Divorce
But was it real? Honestly, the evidence looked pretty damning to the untrained eye.
The protrusions weren't just "cold room" situations. They had a specific shape. They looked like barbell piercings or large captive bead rings. Professional piercers even started weighing in. Keith Nemerow, an industry veteran, told VICE at the time that it looked like 12-gauge or 14-gauge barbells with 5mm balls.
What the Experts (and the Governor) Actually Said
While the internet was busy making memes, the Governor’s office had to actually deal with this. Imagine being a high-level press secretary in the middle of a global health crisis and having to answer questions about your boss’s areolas.
A spokesperson for Cuomo eventually gave a flat denial. "Of course not," they told reporters, followed by a somewhat exhausted "Sorry, internet."
🔗 Read more: Danny DeVito Wife Height: What Most People Get Wrong
Then his ex, Sandra Lee, jumped in. She didn't exactly say "No, he doesn't have them," but she called the whole thing "nonsense" and "body shaming." She was pretty defensive about it, which, let's be real, only made people more suspicious. If it was just a weird wrinkle in a shirt, why not just laugh it off?
If not piercings, then what?
Look, let's consider the alternatives. If you aren't buying the Andrew Cuomo nipple piercing story, you've got a few other options:
- The "Runner’s Tape" Theory: Distance runners often tape their nipples to prevent "jogger's nipple" (chafing). It’s painful and bloody. Given Cuomo’s age and the fact that he was likely under immense stress/moving a lot, maybe he just had some thick Band-Aids or tape under there?
- The Suspenders/Hardware Theory: Some suggested it was a clip for a microphone or even a bulletproof vest. But the bumps were in the exact spot where nipples live. Unless he’s wearing a very strangely designed tactical vest, that doesn't hold much water.
- The "Supernumerary" Situation: There's a medical term for extra nipples. It's actually more common than you'd think. But having two perfectly symmetrical extra nipples that only show up through white polos? Unlikely.
Why This Rumor Stuck Like Glue
The reason the Andrew Cuomo nipple piercing story still gets brought up years later isn't just because it was funny. It’s because it happened during a time of extreme national tension. We needed a distraction.
It was also about the contrast. Here was this stern, "tough guy" Italian-American politician from Queens, talking about death tolls and executive orders, potentially rocking 12-gauge steel jewelry underneath his suit. It was a glitch in the simulation.
💡 You might also like: Mara Wilson and Ben Shapiro: The Family Feud Most People Get Wrong
Eventually, the story faded as more serious scandals hit the Governor's office—nursing home data issues and the sexual harassment allegations that ultimately led to his resignation in 2021. In the grand scheme of his career, a nipple ring is the least of his problems.
How to spot a "false positive" in clothing
If you’ve ever worn a cheap, thin white T-shirt, you know the struggle. Fabric choice matters.
- Weight: Thin cotton shows everything.
- Moisture: Sweat can make fabric cling to the skin in weird ways.
- Undergarments: If he was wearing a compression shirt or a back brace, the seams could have bunched up.
The Final Verdict
So, did he or didn't he?
Unless someone releases a shirtless photo from the summer of 2020, we’ll never know for 100% certain. But the official word remains a "no." Most likely, it was a combination of a very thin shirt, some protective tape to prevent chafing, and the harsh lighting of a convention center.
Next time you see a viral "wardrobe malfunction" involving a public figure, remember that cameras can play tricks, but the internet's imagination is way more creative than reality. If you're worried about your own clothes showing too much, stick to thicker fabrics or dark colors like navy and black. Avoid thin white polos if you're planning on being the face of a crisis response.
To keep your professional wardrobe from becoming a meme, check your reflection in high-contrast lighting before heading to a podium. Stick to high-GSM (grams per square meter) cotton shirts which provide more opacity and structure than the standard budget polo.