Leah McSweeney is speaking out after scoring a major legal win in her ongoing lawsuit against Bravo and Andy Cohen.
The former Real Housewives of New York star confirmed that her case will move forward in a public courtroom after a judge rejected a request from Bravo and Cohen to move the lawsuit into private arbitration.
Following the ruling, McSweeney took to Instagram to acknowledge what she described as a “huge ruling,” while also opening up about how difficult the legal battle has been behind the scenes.
According to McSweeney, the lawsuit has taken a serious emotional toll.
“The lawsuit is emotionally and mentally draining,” she shared on her Instagram Story, explaining why she rarely speaks about the case publicly.
Still, the RHONY alum felt the moment was important enough to address, especially after what she says has been a long road since filing the lawsuit nearly two years ago. She also acknowledged that many critics doubted whether her claims would ever make it this far.
“Reality TV might look like entertainment, but behind the drama, there can be harmful misconduct that should never be normalized,” McSweeney said.
As previously reported, a federal judge ruled Monday that Bravo and Cohen cannot move the case into private arbitration after already litigating portions of it in federal court.
Judge Lewis Liman criticized the timing of the request, noting that the defendants only attempted to push for arbitration after trying to have the case dismissed entirely.
The judge suggested the move may have been motivated by concerns over the public discovery process in federal court, referring to the “daunting specter of civil discovery” that could expose internal communications.
Because Bravo and Cohen initially chose to fight the lawsuit through litigation, Liman ruled they had already waived their right to arbitration.
“Defendants are trying to have their cake and eat it too,” the judge wrote in his decision.
McSweeney originally filed the federal lawsuit in February 2024 in the Southern District of New York. The complaint names several defendants, including Cohen, Bravo Media LLC, NBCUniversal Media LLC, Warner Bros. Discovery Inc., and Shed Media US Inc.
In the lawsuit, McSweeney alleges years of disability discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, and a hostile work environment tied to her alcohol use disorder and mental health struggles.
According to the complaint, McSweeney disclosed her history with sobriety and relapse before joining The Real Housewives of New York City. However, she claims producers repeatedly pressured her to drink alcohol on camera and discouraged her attempts to remain sober.
The lawsuit further alleges that when she tried to maintain her sobriety, producers mocked her, labeled her “boring,” and even threatened her with lost pay. McSweeney also claims her relapse was ultimately used as a central storyline for the show.
She alleges that the situation eventually led to her being sidelined from future Bravo projects.
Andy Cohen and Bravo have denied any wrongdoing.
With the case now remaining in federal court and moving into discovery, the legal battle between McSweeney and the network is far from over.