Former Bravolebrity Leah McSweeney has filed a civil lawsuit against employers Andy Cohen and Bravo that allege a “rotted” workplace culture during her time on The Real Housewives of New York City.
In the complaint filed Tuesday in New York (via PEOPLE), McSweeney alleges that Cohen and Bravo — as well as parent companies NBC, production company Shed Media and producers John Paparazzo, Lisa Shannon, and Darren Ward — discriminated, harassed, and retaliated against her as a “woman with disabilities, such as alcohol use disorder and various mental health disorders, all in the name of selling drama.”
McSweeney, who appeared in season 12 and 13 of the series as well as season 3 of Ultimate Girls Trip, claims in the complaint that there was a “rotted” workplace culture that pressured employees to consume alcohol and that she was retaliated against when she tried to stay sober. The complaint alleges producers “intentionally” orchestrated scenarios “intended to exacerbate” McSweeney’s “disabilities” in order to “create morbidly salacious reality television.”
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The reality TV star also alleges Cohen has a “proclivity” for cocaine usage with “Housewives and other Bravolebrities that he employs,” claiming that the presenter “tends to provide the Housewives with whom he uses cocaine with more favorable treatment and edits,”
In response to the complaint, a rep for Cohen told EW the claims against him are “completely false.” Bravo and Shed Media didn’t immediately respond to EW’s requests for comment.
“This is not a story I ever thought I would be telling,” McSweeney said in an Instagram statement shared after the suit was filed. “In fact, I was petrified to speak on it and was warned not to.” Writing that she is “taking back my reality,” McSweeney called the “reckless and diabolical way in which the people at the top drool over the mishaps and misfortunes of women” “disturbing.” She added, “I have love and respect for many of the Bravo talent and getting to know them was a positive experience in all of this.”
Though she may become a “pariah” due to the suit, “I do hope my lawsuit helps realty TV align with its true purpose: to authentically depict the complexities of life while offering genuine support to those who share their journeys.”
Former Housewife Caroline Manz also recently filed a lawsuit against Bravo and its affiliated companies last month over an alleged sexual misconduct incident involving Brandi Glanville, (who was not named as a defendant in the lawsuit and denies any wrongdoing), while Glanville and her legal team accused Cohen of sexual harassment and called for his firing just last week.
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