The drama surrounding rumors ofThe Real Housewives of New Jerseyundergoing a complete reboot ofthe reality serieswas not enough to distract the Bravo kingpin and sit-down hostAndy Cohen. Despite dealing with the show’s future, Cohen still has more issues to fix.In Touch Weeklyreports that he andThe Real Housewives of New Yorkproducers have demanded thatRHONYalumLeah McSweeney’slawsuit be paused.
This news comes afterMcSweeney amended the lawsuitthat she filed in February. The original lawsuit accuses Cohen and Bravo of encouraging the cast ofThe Real Housewives of New Yorktoparticipate in drugs and alcohol to boost ratings. This was distressing for McSweeney,as she is a recovering alcoholic.She also sued Cohen, Shed Media, and Bravo for subjecting her to disability discrimination, sex discrimination, religious discrimination, and a hostile work environment.
Bravo underwent an independent investigation following McSweneey’s claims and lawsuit. Unfortunately for McSweeney,Bravo found no wrongdoing on Cohen’s part. This was not enough for McSweeney to drop the lawsuit, as she amended the lawsuit in June. The amended lawsuit now claims that Cohen and his lawyers publiclythreatened her, criticized her in the media, and tried to blacklist herin the entertainment industry. Her new lawsuit also states that legal norms allow people to “make any claim they want in court filings without fear of libel suit”. Cohen and the producers have filed for the case to be dismissed.
Andy Cohen and the ‘RHONY’ Producers Are Not Backing Down
In a new letter that In Touch Weekly obtained, the defense attorneys wrote:
“[Leah’s] disability-related claims are based on the (false) allegations that Defendants discriminated against [Leah] by encouraging her to relapse on alcohol during filming of The Shows, directing cast members to say offensive comments to her on-camera, and declining to cast her on future seasons of RHONY because Defendants purportedly prefer to depict cast members who drink alcohol, all in service of ratings.Defendants dispute these allegations.”
The letter continued, arguing that pausing the lawsuit would save everyone’s time - including McSweeney’s. “[Leah] only seeks money damages, and therefore would not be prejudiced by a stay,” it said. “By contrast, absent a stay, the parties—and non-parties—would be required to devote substantial time and resources to discovery, despite the likelihood that Plaintiff’s claims would be dismissed. And the fact that[Leah] has not served discovery requestsin the five months since she filed the Complaint belies any suggestion of urgency.”
Regarding her claims of religious discrimination, the letter says, “[Leah’s] religious discrimination claims are based on one alleged incident:the alleged failure to provide a non-pork option at one meal during filming ofRHUGT. Even if this alleged incident occurred precisely as Plaintiff describes (which it did not), it is, at most, a petty slight or trivial inconvenience that is insufficient to support a claim.”
Cohen also asks that no documents or depositions to occur until the judge rules. McSweeney will be allowed to respond to the request. Viewers ofThe Real Housewives of New Yorkcan stay tuned toColliderfor updates.
As you wait forSeason 15, you’re able to stream all episodes ofThe Real Housewives of New Yorkon Peacock.
The Real Housewives of New York City
A fast-paced reality show that follows several incredibly busy and ambitious Manhattan women. Watch as they balance envious social calendars, challenging careers, and motherhood, with the hustle and bustle of the big city all around.
