Andy Cohen Demands Leah McSweeney Retract 'False, Offensive' Claims of Discrimination and Substance Misuse

In a lawsuit filed last week, McSweeney alleged that Cohen and Bravo facilitated a “rotten” workplace culture where employees were pressured to consume alcohol

Andy Cohen responds to The Real Housewives of New York Alum Leah McSweeney alleges discrimination and substance abuse.

More than a week after McSweeney filed suit against Watch what’s happening live host, Cohen’s attorney, Orin Snyder, said the filing was “riddled with false, offensive and defamatory statements” in a letter to McSweeney, which he received Party tonightPage Six and TMZ.

In a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York, obtained by PEOPLE, McSweeney, 41, claimed Real Housewives executive producer, 55, and Bravo facilitated a “rotten” workplace culture where employees were pressured to consume alcohol.

Snyder calls “virtually every” claim made by the Bravo star “categorically false” and threatens further legal action if she doesn’t “immediately” recant and retract the claims about Cohen’s cocaine use.

Andy Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live.”

Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty

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“If you refuse to do so, Mr. Cohen reserves the right to hold you and your client liable to the fullest extent of the law,” the letter said. “To be clear: these allegations are categorically false. Mr. Cohen has never used cocaine with any cast member on any Real Housewives show or with any other Bravo employee.”

“The allegations were clearly fabricated by you and/or your client to maximize tabloid clickbait value in the hopes that you will use these false allegations — along with the other lies that permeate the lawsuit — as a weapon to obtain an unjustified settlement,” the letter said. continues. “It won’t. Instead, this behavior only exposes you and your client to independent and significant legal exposure.”

The letter said McSweeney and her attorney created a “media frenzy” to “force a settlement” between the reality star and Cohen.

“Truth matters. Litigation cannot be used to create fake news. And it cannot be used as a vehicle to spread false and malicious lies in order to promote the situation,” the letter said. “We demand that you issue an immediate public retraction and apologize to Mr. Cohen. Every day that you fail to do so only adds to the damage that Mr. Cohen has suffered.”

Leah McSweeney and Andy Cohen.

Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

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In response to the letter, McSweeney’s attorney, Sarah M. Matz, of Adelman Matz PC, issued a statement to Diversitysaying, “It’s not surprising that Andy Cohen had his counsel and PR agents write the threatening letter that they gave to the press.”

“MR. Cohen has made a habit of using his power in the media to scare and intimidate people like Ms. McSweeney into speaking out,” the statement continued. “Mr. Cohen’s attempt to discredit and intimidate Ms. McSweeney in order to dissuade her from engaging in legally protected activities in court is precisely the type of retaliation for which this lawsuit was filed and is only further evidence for Ms. McSweeney.”

“We do not intend to discuss this matter in the press, and if Mr. Cohen wishes to address Ms. McSweeney’s allegations, we suggest that he do so in court rather than in a letter to the press.”

Attorneys for Cohen and McSweeney did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Leah McSweeney and Andy Cohen.

John Nacion/WireImage; Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty

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Cohen’s rep previously denied the allegations in a statement to PEOPLE, saying, “The allegations against Andy are completely false.”

In addition to Cohen and Bravo Media, the lawsuit also names NBC Universal Media, Warner Bros. Discovery, production company Shed Media US and producers John Paparazzo, Lisa Shannon and Darren Ward.

McSweeney — who joined RHONY in 2019 for two seasons and appeared in the third season Real Housewives: The Ultimate Trip for Girls — alleges in the filing that the defendants failed to maintain a safe work environment and accommodate her disabilities, including “alcohol use disorder” and “mental health disorders.” Representatives for Cohen, Bravo, Shed and Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s initial request for comment on McSweeney’s allegations.

The fashion designer claimed in the filing that she told producers she suffered from an alcohol addiction disorder and had been sober for nine years until a brief comeback before filming season 12 RHONY, but she revealed that she wants to get sober. She further alleged in the lawsuit that the producers interfered with her efforts to remain sober by “deliberately planning scenarios intended to aggravate [her] disability,” all in an effort to “create morbidly depraved reality television.”

Andy Cohen, Dolores Catania and Leah McSweeney on “Watch What Happens Live.”

Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

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McSweeney also accused Cohen of engaging in “cocaine with the Housewives and other ‘Bravolebrities’ he employs” and providing “favorable treatment and grooming” to those with whom he allegedly used the substance.

According to The Hollywood Reportera source denied the claim that Cohen “does cocaine with any Housewife,” calling it “outrageous.”

The outlet also reported that a source close to the franchise’s production claimed that McSweeney was in talks for the role RHONY: Legacy but she was ultimately not cast in the ensemble, given her short stint in the series. A production source said THR“If it was thrown in Legacy as she wanted, this would not have happened.”

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The Married to the Mob streetwear founder has also since shared a lengthy statement about her decision to file a civil suit. She shared a series of posts on Instagram, writing in part: “I love and respect a lot of Bravo talent and meeting them has been a positive experience in all of this. I may be a pariah to them after this, but I hope my lawsuit helps reality TV – to align with its true purpose: to authentically portray the complexities of life while providing genuine support to those who share their stories.”

“I’ve been trying to resolve this internationally for years, but I’ve been rejected, fenced off and gaslighted (but actually) at every turn since. Bravo can try to manipulate my reality and the reality of others all they want, but the cold hard facts of this case are real as can be,” she continued.

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