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Leah McSweeney's Sudden Move: What Really Happened with Her Lawsuit Against Andy Cohen?
The Real Housewives of New York City alum Leah McSweeney has dropped her lawsuit against Bravo and Housewives executive producer Andy Cohen.
McSweeney, 44, voluntarily withdrew her petition in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, according to court documents obtained by People. The Bravo alum dismissed her claims with prejudice, meaning she cannot file another lawsuit with the same allegations.
The terms of the dismissal were not publicly disclosed. Us has reached out to McSweeney and Bravo for comment.
“We are extremely satisfied with the outcome [and] we are proud of Leah and her perseverance,” McSweeney’s lawyer, Gary Adelman, told Page Six in a Friday, October 30, statement.
McSweeney, who appeared on RHONY during seasons 12 and 13 and Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip season 3, named Bravo and Cohen, 58, in a 2024 lawsuit. She claimed that production allegedly encouraged her to relapse after years of sobriety.
“Your favorite Bravo shows are run by people who create a dangerous work environment, encourage substance abuse to artificially create drama and cynically prey on the vulnerabilities of their employees,” McSweeney alleged in a February 2024 statement shared via Instagram. “It’s a workplace culture where toxicity, alcoholism and pain are not only expected but encouraged and facilitated.”
In her legal filing, McSweeney further claimed that Cohen “engaged in cocaine use” with multiple Bravolebrities and allegedly rewarded participants with “more favorable treatment and edits.”
Both Cohen and Bravo, meanwhile, vehemently denied the accusations — and tried to dismiss McSweeney’s lawsuit on several occasions.
“What I’ll say about the alcohol is that we have so many sober people and people who have gotten sober on the show, like Countess Luann [de Lesseps],” Cohen told The Hollywood Reporter in May 2024. “We have people who’ve never had a drink during the entire run of the show: Jill Zarin, Kandi Burruss [and] Heather Dubrow will just have an occasional glass of champagne.”
The TV host continued at the time, “So sure, there are people who drink. There are many people who never drink. We don’t force anyone to do anything. But no one is secretly hiding liquor bottles on set. That’s ridiculous. We’ve been very supportive of people’s sobriety.”
Bravo conducted an investigation into McSweeney’s allegations that same year, ultimately clearing Cohen of misconduct.
“The outside investigation into the recent allegations … has now been completed, and the claims were found to be unsubstantiated,” a Bravo rep stated at the time.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
