“Real Housewives of New York City” star Leah McSweeney reportedly filed new court papers alleging Andy Cohen attempted to blackball and bully her into silence after she filed her initial lawsuit against him.
McSweeney filed legal documents in February claiming the Bravo executive callously and intentionally exploited her addiction to alcohol to trigger dramatic behavior to spike the show’s ratings, according to Page Six. The reality television star is continuing to push forward with that litigation and has added new claims to the suit, alleging Cohen “retaliated” to the filing by having his lawyers threaten her in public and speak ill of her in the press to get her blackballed in the entertainment industry, according to Page Six.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 11: Leah McSweeney attends the Shao show during New York Fashion Week – September 2023: The Shows on September 11, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)
McSweeney claimed Cohen was attempting to take the calculated moves in an attempt to scare her and others like her with complaints about him into maintaining their silence.
Her initial court filing alleged Cohen, alongside production company Shed Media and the networks representing the show were aware of her addiction to alcohol and saw an opportunity to encourage her to fall into a pattern of overdrinking to generate more drama and content for the show, presuming the viewing audience would tune in. She indicated they were financially benefitting while encouraging her addiction, according to Page Six.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 12: Andy Cohen attends Storytellers – Andy Cohen In Conversation with Anderson Cooper during the 2024 Tribeca Festival at BMCC Theater on June 12, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival)
McSweeney, a recovering alcoholic, faced mental health challenges in the past and claimed the producers of the show had seen marked success in ratings during earlier seasons of the show when cast members became unstable and acted out. She believes they were attempting to encourage her alcoholism with the same hopes of cashing in, according to Page Six.
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She also alleged Cohen used cocaine with several of her castmates, which resulted in their ability to gain advantages and opportunities. (RELATED: ‘Smoking Crack For Breakfast’: Reality Star Leah McSweeney Abandons New York Amid Crime Spike)
Mc Sweeney also claimed Cohen’s attorneys threatened to sue her in an attempt to scare her away and deter her from seeing her litigation through. Cohen had vehemently denied all allegations made against him.
