Real Housewives of New York Season 12 added a new face to the mix of seasoned OGs with Leah McSweeney. The mother of one was spunky and had energy for days, which was great for embracing her co-stars when she talked about sex or ran around Ramona Singer’s pool naked and flailing around tiki torches.
But her antics got boring real quick, and after two seasons Leah wasn’t asked back. The business owner tried to manufacture drama and be relevant, particularly when she brought in her friend, Eboni K. Williams. While she had entertaining moments, especially in her first season, she just wasn’t RHONY material. Instead of falling back into the shadows gracefully, she is the latest Bravoleb to smack the network with a heavy lawsuit.
Leah Sues Andy
News reports revealed Leah was suing Andy Cohen and Bravo for discrimination. She alleged the culture promoted alcohol and drug use. As a recovering alcoholic, this was not the kind of environment Leah should have ever been in. So why did she sign up for it? Every Bravo personality knows they are signing a deal with the devil for their 15 minutes of fame. It’s pretty much common knowledge that the crazier you act, the better chance you have at staying on your show.
Via People, Leah filed a civil lawsuit in the Southern District of New York. It named Andy, Bravo Media, NBC Universal Media, Warner Bros. Discovery, Shed Media US, and producers John Paparazzo, Lisa Shannon, and Darren Ward. The 109-page document claimed that the defendants established a “rotted workplace culture where employees were pressured to consume alcohol.” Leah also noted in court docs that the network failed to maintain a safe working environment and accommodate her disabilities. This included her “alcohol use disorder” and “mental health disorders.”
Leah Makes Strong Allegations
Leah also shared that she had broken her nine years of sobriety but was sober when Season 12 was filmed. One of Leah’s biggest claims is that producers knew about her alcohol disorder because she confided in them. Leah shares in the paperwork that she felt discriminated against, noting producers were “intentionally planning scenarios intended to exacerbate her disabilities to create morbidly salacious reality television.” Perhaps the biggest bombshell was claiming that Andy “engages in cocaine use with Housewives and other ‘Bravolebrities’ that he employs” and has a “proclivity for cocaine usage with his employees.” The paperwork noted that “Cohen tends to provide the Housewives with whom he uses cocaine with more favorable treatment and edits.”
Leah Speaks Out
The former Real Housewives of New York City star took to her Instagram to comment on her lawsuit in a lengthy post. In what felt like a cryptic note, Leah wrote, “This is not a story I ever thought I’d be telling; in fact, I was petrified to speak on it and warned not to.” Leah went on to say, “Your favorite Bravo shows are run by people who create a dangerous work environment, encourage substance abuse to artificially create drama, and cynically prey on the vulnerabilities of their employees.”
Leah signed off by writing, “Some of the stories and incidents that are detailed in the lawsuit have been shown in edited form on TV or reported in the media, but many have not. And there will be much more that comes out once the people involved are questioned under oath. Today, I am taking back my reality.” These are strong words from a former Housewife, but she isn’t alone.
More Lawsuits
Caroline Manzo has sued, alleging she was sexually assaulted and harassed by Brandi Glanville. In her lawsuit, Caroline claims the network and producers sacrificed their cast members’ safety for their own ratings and profits. Not to be left out, Brandi has claimed she was sent a video from Andy telling her he wanted to have sex with another Bravo star in 2022. Honestly, I don’t know what is going on in the Bravosphere, but if any of these claims or lawsuits are true, there needs to be a cleaning of house.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK BRAVO IS GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS THEIR MULTIPLE LAWSUITS, OR WILL THEY STAY QUIET?
