REALITY TV'RHONY' Alum Leah McSweeney Allowed to Go After Bravo Over How They Treated Her Drinking Issues, Judge Rules
'RHONY' alum Leah McSweeney is allowed to go after Bravo over how they treated her drinking issues, a judge ruled on March 31.
A judge ruled former Real Housewives of New York City star Leah McSweeney can go after Bravo regarding her allegations producers “coerced and harassed” her over her drinking problem.
Leah McSweeney sued Bravo in February 2024.
In her February 2024 lawsuit, the former reality star alleged production tried to prey on her problems with alcohol, trying to get her to drink in an effort to get television that would garner high ratings. Although Bravo filed to dismiss her motion in May 2024, on March 31, Judge Lewis Liman published a 100-page ruling that dismissed parts of her lawsuit but allowed her to keep the majority of her case moving forward, including her allegations “producers directly coerced and harassed [her] based on her [addiction].”
While Liman agreed with the producers’ oral arguments they made in court in November 2024 — they had a First Amendment right to demand stars of the show drink alcohol while filming as it is “not incidental but central to the show’s message that the drinking activities it portrays are authentic and genuine” — he ruled McSweeney can continue to sue Bravo over how they treated her issues with alcohol.
Leah McSweeney alleges she was 'coerced and harassed' by producers to drink.
He shared producers will have to answer questions after McSweeney claimed they “joked about [her] drinking issues in her presence despite her requests that they stop, taunted her about her alcohol use disorder and tried to undermine her sobriety through harassing comments, directed other cast members to bring up [her] mental health and substance abuse issues and to call [her] a drug addict, and coached fellow cast members to further disparage [her].”
Additionally, he is allowing her to continue litigation over her claims she was promised she could attend Alcoholics Anonymous while filming Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip — only for production to change their mind once they began shooting.
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Leah McSweeney alleges production promised her she could attend AA while filming 'Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip' but changed their minds.
Gary Adelman, the lawyer representing McSweeney, told Page Six, “We thank the Judge for his care in his 100-page decision that kept the majority of the major claims against the defendants and continues to give full life to Leah’s lawsuit and another step closer to holding the defendants accountable. While we disagree with his findings on the minor claims and will certainly be filing an amended complaint to address his questions, this decision is not a scorecard, it was an affirmation that there are serious claims and that they will proceed in Court.”
Leah McSweeney's lawyers denoted her claims as 'serious.'
Bravo declined to comment on the judge’s ruling.
