Andy Cohen Headed to Court in Explosive Lawsuit From ‘RHONY’ Alum Leah McSweeney

Leah McSweeney will get her day in court. 

A judge has ruled that The Real Housewives of New York City alum’s lawsuit against Andy Cohen and Bravo will go to trial. 

Leah McSweeney says Bravo exploited her alcohol use disorder to create ‘salacious’ TV

McSweeney sued the Housewives producer and the cable network in 2024. She says that even though she told the people behind the hit show that she had alcohol use disorder, they intentionally placed her in situations where her “disabilities” would be exacerbated, with the goal of creating “morbidly salacious reality television.” McSweeney also alleges that Cohen led a “coordinated attack” on her in the press after she filed her lawsuit. 

Cohen and Bravo had wanted the case moved to arbitration, which would have kept the process out of the public eye. But U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman said they waiting too long to make that request, according to court documents obtained by People. McSweeney is also suing  Bravo’s parent NBC Universal Media, Warner Bros. Discovery, production company Shed Media US, and two producers. 

McSweeney has made a number of claims about scandalous behavior from Cohen, including that he engaged in “cocaine use with Housewives and other ‘Bravolebrities’ that he employs” and that Housewives who took drugs with him got “more favorable treatment and edits.”

The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip alum responded to the judge’s favorable decision in a post on her Instagram Story (via The Hollywood Reporter), calling it a “huge ruling.”

“Reality TV might look like entertainment, but behind the drama, there can be harmful misconduct that should never be normalized,” she wrote. 

Andy Cohen has denied the ‘RHONY’ alum’s allegations

Cohen has previously denied McSweeney’s allegations of misconduct, discrimination, and drug use with other Bravolebrities, calling them “categorically false,” according to Variety. 

McSweeney’s lawsuit has drawn a mixed response from other Housewives. Brandi Glanville of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills has expressed support for her fellow Bravo alum. 

“We are NOT expendable. We are strong women & even stronger together. Time to take our power back,” she wrote in response to McSweeney’s 2024 Instagram post announcing her lawsuit.

“So proud of you, I know this hasn’t been easy,” commented RHOC alum Braunwyn Windham-Burke.

But other Housewives, including Margaret Josephs, Kyle Richards, and Heather Dubrow, told Page Six they were backing Cohen in the dispute. Josephs told the publication she was “appalled” by the “disgusting” accusations. 

“Those allegations are nothing but to assassinate his character and that is disgusting,” she said.

How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.

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