RHONY’s Leah McSweeney is suing Andy Cohen and Bravo
Leah McSweeney has filed a civil lawsuit against Bravo and Andy Cohen after her experience filming Real Housewives of New York City And Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip.
This is evident from court documents obtained by Page six On Tuesday, February 27, the reality star and her lawyers allege that Cohen, 55, and the network deliberately took advantage of McSweeney’s battle with alcoholism in an effort to score high ratings.
“This is not a story I ever thought I would tell; In fact, I was terrified to speak about it and was warned not to,” McSweeney, 41, said via a Instagram post hours after the charges were filed. “Your favorite Bravo shows are run by people who create a dangerous work environment, encourage substance abuse to create artificial drama, and cynically prey on the vulnerabilities of their employees.”
Although McSweeney said some of the stories detailed in the lawsuit have been shown on TV in edited form, viewers can learn much more as the case plays out in New York.
Several of Hollywood’s biggest stars have opened up about their sobriety journeys over the years. Kelly Osbourne, who previously spoke about being sober for six years, revealed in April 2021 that she had relapsed and was working on next steps. “I’m not proud of it. But I’m back on track,” she wrote via […]
“Much more will emerge when those involved are questioned under oath. Today I take back my reality,” she said. “The reckless and diabolical way in which those at the top drool over the misfortunes and misfortunes of women, including myself, is disturbing. It is a workplace culture where toxicity, alcoholism and pain are not only expected, but encouraged and facilitated. That is something I absolutely did not sign up for and would never endorse.”
McSweeney appeared in two seasons of Real Housewives of New York City between 2020 and 2021 and one season of the spin-off Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip in 2023.
In the lawsuit, McSweeney said she told producers before her first season that she had been sober for 30 days and was working to maintain her sobriety.
Instead of providing adequate care and support during her filming experience, McSweeney and her legal team alleged in the lawsuit that producers pressured her to drink throughout all three seasons.
“There is nothing more important than my sobriety, without it I risk losing everything,” McSweeney said via Instagram. “I have been very transparent about my addiction and recovery, but there are personal things in the trial that I have never wanted to reveal for fear of being judged and shamed, but I am now at a point in my life where I feel strongly enough feel to withstand whatever comes my way.”
While McSweeney said she has “love and respect for many” of the Bravo talent she has met and worked with over the years, she hopes her lawsuit “helps reality TV adjust to its true goal: to authentically portray the complexities of life while offering genuine support to those who share their stories.”
The Real Housewives of New York City premiered in 2008, but not every housewife has gone above and beyond. The cast of RHONY season 1 included Luann de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Bethenny Frankel, Jill Zarin and Alex McCord. While Kelly Killoren Bensimon joined the cast during season 2, Sonja Morgan became a full-time cast member during season 2 […]
“I’ve been trying to address this internally for years, but every time since then I’ve been fired, put up against the wall and (basically) gaslit,” she said. “Bravo can try to manipulate my reality and the reality of others all they want, but the cold hard facts of this case are as real as it gets. Thank you to my close friends and family and of course @adelmanmatz who have supported me through every difficult but necessary step of this journey. I’ll see you in court.”
We weekly has reached out to Bravo, Cohen’s rep and McSweeney’s attorneys for comment.