Leah McSweeney Says the Truth ‘Is on My Side’ in Lawsuit Against Bravo and Andy Cohen

The Real Housewives of New York alum Leah McSweeney opens up about her decision to take Andy Cohen and Bravo to court.

On Thursday’s episode of the American Addiction Center’s talk show Talk about addictionMcSweeney, 41, spoke candidly about the lawsuit she filed against Real Housewives executive producer, 55, of franchise networks and production companies, alleging they fostered a “rotten” workplace culture that encourages employees to consume alcohol.

After the fashion designer said she’s doing “great” since filing her lawsuit in late February, thanks to her sober network and friends, she shared how she sees the court case coming to an end. The reality star said she feels like everything is going to end in her favor, even though she is “going up against a very powerful entity” who has previously denied her allegations.

“As hard as it is to fight against a very powerful entity, and that people might just disagree with me or, you know, attack me and get a response and all that stuff, I don’t care, because this is the truth.” McSweeney shared. “I have it on my side and my intentions are really good.”

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The Married to the Mob founder continued, “I’m constantly checking in on it. And I’m using the things I’ve learned in recovery about intention and inventory and all that stuff, and I’m in a really good place right now.”

McSweeney went on to explain how her sobriety journey gave her the strength to tackle an issue that was important to her. “It took a long time to get here. It’s obviously a journey and it’s not linear. But what I’ve learned is to have a healthy fear of your addiction. And you can never feel like it’s that far away. Because it’s not,” she said. is.

“I learned it the hard way,” she continued, talking about how the disease recurred during her time there. RHONY, which she states in the lawsuit she filed. “I was one of those people who said, ‘I’ll never drink again. I’ll never drink, no matter what, I’m not drinking.’ And then, boom, nine years later, I was drinking. So I have a very healthy fear of my addiction and alcoholism, but I’m doing fine.”

Leah McSweeney at Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation 2023 Angel Ball October 23, 2023

John Nacion/WireImage

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The Bravolebrity also spoke about the criticism she received from fans housewives franchise in recent weeks, and has since demanded Cohen retract the “false, offensive” claims she made.

Even when you’re in a really good place, it still hurts, McSweeney said of the comments she sees on social media. “It’s still not a pleasant experience to have people approach you or to deal with the situation I’m in.”

“It’s a deeply ingrained thing to dismiss women when they say, ‘This was not a good experience for me,'” she added. “I’m not trying to personally offend people who like to watch these shows by saying, ‘This was not a good experience for me.'”

Andy Cohen and Leah McSweeney.

Charles Sykes/Bravo via Getty (2)

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 lawsuit, obtained by PEOPLE, that the defendants failed to maintain a safe work environment and accommodate her disabilities, including “alcohol use disorder” and “mental health disorders.”

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.

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The TV personality claimed in the filing that she told producers she suffers from alcohol dependence disorder and was sober for nine years until her illness returned in season 12 RHONY. Despite allegedly telling them she hoped to regain her sobriety, McSweeney claims the producers intervened by “deliberately planning scenarios with the intention of making things worse [her] disabilities” in order to “create morbidly depraved reality television”.

The designer also accused Cohen of using cocaine with select Housewives and giving them “favorable treatment and makeovers.”

Andy Cohen, Dolores Catania and Leah McSweeney on ‘Watch What Happens Live!’.

Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty

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Immediately after the lawsuit was filed, Cohen’s rep told PEOPLE that McSweeney’s claims are “completely false.” A week later, PEOPLE received a letter that Watch what’s happening live The host’s attorney, Orin Snyder, sent McSweeney, in which he said the filing was “riddled with false, offensive and defamatory statements.”

Snyder also threatened further legal action if Bravolebrity did not “immediately” retract and retract the claims about Cohen’s cocaine use.

“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 statement said. “To be clear: these allegations are categorically false. Mr. Cohen has never used cocaine with any cast member Real Housewives show or with any other Bravo employee.”

The litigation is still ongoing.

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