‘RHONY’ Alum Leah McSweeney Sues Andy Cohen & Bravo for Creating ‘Dangerous Work Environment’
The reality star filed a civil lawsuit claiming that producers from the show had taken advantage of her issues with alcohol in the hopes that it would increase viewership.
Leah McSweeney has filed a civil lawsuit against Andy Cohen and Bravo following negative experiences while filming The Real Housewives of New York City and Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip. The reality star, 41, alleged that the show’s producers had tried to get her to relapse by drinking alcohol in an attempt to have good ratings in the civil suit, filed on Tuesday, February 27.
Leah and her lawyers claimed that the network had “preyed” on her struggles with alcohol while trying to get high ratings, according to documents viewed by Page Six. The documents alleged that producers were seemingly trying to get the RHONY alum to relapse with “coaxing and coercion,” and also preventing her from going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings by not giving her time to schedule getting to a meeting.
Reps for Andy denied the allegations in a statement to Entertainment Tonight. “The claims against Andy are completely false,” they said.
Leah also released her own statement to announce the lawsuit on her Instagram. “This is not a story I ever thought I would be telling; in fact, I was petrified to speak on it and was warned not to,” she wrote. “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. Some of the stories and incidents shown in edited form on TV or reported in media, but many have not. And there will be much more that comes out once the people involved are questioned under oath.”
Later in the statement, she claimed that she had tried to address the issue internally but was “dismissed, stonewalled, and gaslit” in the process. “Bravo can try to manipulate my reality and others’ all they want, but the cold hard facts of this case are as real as it get,” she wrote.
Leah continued and wrote that while reality TV does offer an opportunity to connect with millions, she claimed that some whoe were involved in making shows created a toxic work environment. “The reckless and diabolical way in which the people at the top drool over the mishaps and misfortunes of the women including myself are disturbing. It’s a workplace culture where toxicity, alcoholism and pain are not only expected but encouraged and facilitated. That is something I most definitely did not sign up for nor would I ever endorse,” she wrote. “There is nothing more important than my sobriety, without it I risk losing everything.”
Later, the RHONY star said that she hoped that this lawsuit would change the practices of making reality TV for the better. “I have love and respect for many of the Bravo talent and getting to know them was a positive experience in all of this. I may be a pariah to them after this, but I do hope my lawsuit helps reality TV to align with its true purpose: to authentically depict the complexities of life while offering genuine support to those who share their stories,” she said.