Leah McSweeney is the newest housewife in New York City, after Bethenny Frankel revealed she will not return for the show’s coming season (12). The 36-year-old is a friend of RHONY‘s Tinsley Mortimer, and Bravo confirmed her addition to the cast during Bravocon on Nov. 15. Want to know more about her? Here are five fast facts about Leah McSweeney.
1. Leah McSweeney is a businesswoman from New York. — She was born and raised in New York City, where she attended school in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, according to her Wikipedia page. She briefly studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Leah has also become a strong advocate for mental health awareness, after sharing her personal journey with Bipolar II Disorder, her bio reads on Improper Etiquette, the podcast she co-hosts.
2. She is an entrepreneur and the founder of street wear brand Married to the Mob. — After winning a settlement of $75,000 from a lawsuit against the New York City Police Department, Leah launched the street-inspired brand, which caters to females, in 2004. The purpose? To provide a “voice and edginess to women who could hold their own (in the likes of a man,) but had the finesse and appeal of a lady,” her official website reads. As of 2018, MTTM had reached distribution in over 100 retailers, and collaborated with over 30 brands. Leah’s MTTM brand has collaborated with top names including Reebok and Nike. Her collections have also been modeled by female rappers including Chanel West Coast.
Leah has been featured in numerous publications including, Complex, Elle, Essence, Inked, Nylon, Paper, and Vogue. She often makes makes regular contributions on other media platforms such as Hypebeast. She also writes an advice column for Penthouse magazine.
(Photo credit: Instagram/Leah McSweeney)
3. Leah is a mother. — She has a daughter, who she often shares photos with on Instagram. It’s unclear if Leah is married.
4. She has appeared on Bravo in other capacities. — In 2010, Leah appeared as a client on an episode on Bravo’s The Millionaire Matchmaker. Her appearance on the show eventually led to cameos on other television programs, including VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: New York.
5. What is known about her gig on ‘RHONY’? — Bravo confirmed she’ll be a full-time housewife in Season 12, in the wake of Bethenny Frankel’s exit. A source close to the Skinnygirl mogul adds that Bethenny assisted in the search herself, going as far as recommending Leah for the show.