Leah McSweeney’s lawsuit of Andy Cohen, explained

In legal documents obtained by Page Six, Andy Cohen was highlighted as a key example of a toxic workplace culture at Bravo. McSweeney, who has been open for several years about her struggle with substance abuse and mental illness, claims in the new suit that Cohen openly and regularly snorts cocaine with her Real Housewives co-stars.

This is not the first time Cohen has been accused of using drugs in the workplace. In 2017, comedian Kathy Griffin alleged that Cohen offered her cocaine multiple times during appearances on his show, Watch What Happens Live. Griffin also stated that Cohen was a “horrible boss” regarding his involvement in her Bravo reality series, My Life on the D-List.

McSweeney’s allegations of a toxic workplace were said to be worsened by other Bravo heads, who “not only supplied Ms. McSweeney with unlimited, free alcoholic beverages throughout Ms. McSweeney’s employment as a cast member on ‘RHONY’ Season 12, but also encouraged her to consume those alcoholic beverages.” The producers apparently also “called Ms. McSweeney and told her that, despite relapsing into alcohol use disorder, Ms. McSweeney should continue to consume alcohol so long as she ‘remain[ed] lucid’ while filming.’”

The suit also claims that multiple RHONY cast members expressed concern to producers over McSweeney’s obvious drunkenness and behavior during the filming of the episode “Hurricane Leah”, the highest-rated episode of the season, with McSweeney’s erratic actions playing a central role in the episode.

It was said that McSweeney wanted to visit her dying grandmother during the filming of the episode and experienced panic attacks due to being absent and overwhelmed, but was pressured to stay present. Instead, producers “told Ms. McSweeney to ‘lighten up’ and ‘have more fun’ and that her ‘personality is a lot different when [she was] drinking.’”

While Cohen was not present for much of filming of RHONY season 12, the documents maintained that both the TV host and the producers “put Ms. McSweeney in situations where she felt pressured to relapse into alcohol use disorder.”

Moreover, this platforming of McSweeney’s addiction concerning her role as a cast member were said to become inextricable. Cohen and producers were said to have created a culture of “glorifying [cast members’] alcohol use”, where it was implied that if McSweeney maintained sobriety, “Cohen, [the producers] and the audience would think she was boring [and] Cohen would no longer want her on the show.”

A statement put out by Andy Cohen’s rep maintained that the claims made in the suit were “completely false,” although no comment was made regarding the documents’ allegations of sexual harassment against a producer, stated not to be Cohen. It was said that the unnamed producer “routinely sends unsolicited pictures of [their] genitalia to lower-level … production employees,” a fact known to higher-ups at Bravo but not intervened with – likely referring to Cohen.

This is the third lawsuit involving sexual harassment to emerge from the filming of The Real Housewives franchise in recent months, with Brandi Glanville’s suit directly accusing Cohen of sexual harassment. According to documents from Glanville’s legal team, Cohen sent Glanville a message about watching him have sexual intercourse with one of her castmates, although Cohen has responded to the suit claiming that these comments were clearly made “in jest.”

Real Housewives of New Jersey alum Caroline Manzo has also sued the Bravo network for harassment from an unnamed producer while filming an unaired season of Girls’ Trip, and in contrast, a sexual assault at the hands of co-star Brandi Glanville, in which Glanville was said to have forcefully and inappropriately touched her.

Manzo cites Bravo producers as a direct cause of this incident, as the work culture at the network allows cast members “to become severely intoxicated, and then direct, encourage and/or allow them to sexually harass other cast members because that is good for ratings,” according to Manzo’s suit.

If you or someone you know struggles with substance abuse or addiction, call the National Drug Helpline on (844) 289-0879, or browse their website for more information.

If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, reach out to RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.