The lawsuit between Leah McSweeney and Bravo is taking another turn. A new report suggests that Bravo’s lawyers are pushing for private hearings in their case with the former Real Housewives of New York cast member. Of course, Leah’s lawyers argue that this is just another example of the network’s shady behavior, but it’s a bit more complicated than that.
Bravo lawyers want a private hearing in the Leah McSweeney case
To understand this story, you’ve got to go all the way back to the beginning. In 2024, Leah filed a massive lawsuit against Bravo. She claimed that Andy Cohen and the producers pressured her to drink and exploited her substance abuse issues on RHONY and Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. Her lawsuit also claimed that Andy sexually harassed her by asking about her “boob job.”
According to court documents reviewed by Page Six, Bravo tried to enforce a point in Leah’s Housewives contract that said that any disagreements needed to be handled via private arbitration. However, a superseding law says sexual harassment claims must be heard in court.
Earlier this year, a judge ruled that Leah’s case could move ahead to trial. In that process, he dismissed chunks of Leah’s lawsuit. That included her claims of sexual harassment. With that in mind, Bravo’s lawyers hope to revisit their original point. They believe the court should enforce Leah’s RHONY contract, thus meaning this would be handled via arbitration.
If Bravo’s lawyers succeed, it would prevent Leah’s lawyers from digging up dirt on the network. It would also spare network executives from having to go to court and issue under oath statements on the case.
For obvious reasons, Leah’s team doesn’t feel thrilled about this move from Bravo. Their goal is to expose Bravo, and they can’t do that if the hearings remain private. Her attorney, Gary Adelman, said in a statement that it’s the public’s “right to know” how Leah was allegedly mistreated. They want to move ahead with full visibility.
“It comes as no surprise that [Bravo’s lawyers] are once again trying to unnecessarily delay the matter by trying to move the case to [arbitration],” Gary said. “They think that this maneuver will shield the damaging evidence that, we believe, will be forthcoming as the case proceeds.”
The Real Housewives of New York is streaming on Peacock and Hayu in the UK and Ireland.
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This story originally appeared on Realitytea
