In a bombshell lawsuit, reality TV giant Bravo faces damning allegations of fostering a dysfunctional culture behind the scenes. According to court documents filed by former star Leah McSweeney on Tuesday, the network allegedly thrives on hard drugs, condones alcohol abuse, and turns a blind eye to sexually predatory behavior.
McSweeney’s lawsuit claims that it’s an open secret for Bravo’s figurehead, Andy Cohen, to allegedly partake in cocaine with a select group of his favorite “Real Housewives” stars, offering special professional favors to those who join his personal party circle.
Moreover, the documents allege that the network is aware of a senior producer who reportedly sends unsolicited genitalia pictures to lower-level production employees, yet higher-ups have failed to address the issue.
Leah McSweeney, aged 41, makes shocking claims in a lawsuit against the network, alleging that Bravo exploited her alcohol issues, either by exacerbating them intentionally or by obstructing her from seeking assistance, all in a cynical bid to boost ratings.
The fashion designer, known for her appearances on two seasons of the flagship show “The Real Housewives of New York City” and one season of the spin-off “Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip,” contends that the network violated her employment rights by denying her proper care for her alcohol addiction, despite being aware of the issue.
McSweeney asserts that producers went so far as to “pressure her” into drinking, despite her efforts to quit.
She is seeking unspecified damages. A representative for Andy Cohen stated to Page Six: “The claims against Andy are completely false.”
The revelation surfaces just days after fellow “Real Housewives” star Brandi Glanville alleged in a legal letter that an “obviously inebriated” Cohen sexually harassed her, expressing his desire to “sleep with another Bravo star” while “thinking” of Glanville and inviting her to observe over FaceTime.
(Cohen has stated that the comment was intended “in jest” but admitted that it was “inappropriate.”)
McSweeney’s lawsuit, while arguing that the network fosters a culture that “thrives off drug and alcohol use,” alleges that Cohen, aged 55 and serving as an executive producer of “RHONY” and “RHUGT,” while also hosting Bravo’s late-night show “Watch What Happens Live,” “indulges in cocaine use with Housewives that he employs” and that “Cohen’s inclination for cocaine usage with his employees is widely known throughout the Real Housewives franchise.”
“In fact,” assert the documents filed in the Southern District of New York, “Cohen tends to offer more favorable treatment and portray Housewives who indulge in cocaine use with him in a more agreeable light in edits of their shows.”
The document refrains from naming the specific “Housewives” cast members involved.
In the court documents, McSweeney’s formidable legal team asserts that “Cohen deliberately engages in cocaine use with his employees to perpetuate a workplace environment that encourages drug and alcohol consumption, ultimately resulting in a failure to support employees who are disabled and striving for sobriety.”
Meanwhile, the filings state that a producer employed by Shed Media, responsible for producing “RHONY” and “RHUGT,” among other “Real Housewives” series, “regularly sends unsolicited genitalia pictures to lower-level production employees.”
McSweeney is taking legal action against Cohen and Bravo under the Disabilities Act, contending that they neglected to provide reasonable accommodations for alcohol use disorder.
The lawsuit also alleges that despite Bravo and Shed being aware or should be aware of the producer’s sexual harassment, they continue to promote the producer to positions of increased authority.
These claims are part of McSweeney’s lawsuit because her legal team argues in the court documents that “by failing to take appropriate corrective measures, Bravo and Shed implicitly convey to the producer and all other employees that they can engage in unlawful employment practices without consequence.”
