Former Real Housewives of New York City star Leah McSweeney is continuing her legal fight against NBCUniversal and Bravo with new serious accusations involving top company executives. McSweeney, who first filed the lawsuit in February 2024, claims she was mistreated during her time on the reality show and says producers used her past struggles with substance abuse to create more dramatic television moments.
According to reports, she believes the show staff pressured her to drink alcohol even though she was dealing with addiction issues. Now, the case has taken another turn after McSweeney accused senior Bravo executives of using some of her former costars to damage her public image during the ongoing legal battle connected to Andy Cohen.
Reports say NBCUniversal executive vice president Jennifer Geisser has been named in the lawsuit for the first time. McSweeney alleges there was an effort behind the scenes to discredit her as the case moves closer to a trial in court in New York.
As per Page Six, the court filing claims that Leah McSweeney “has obtained additional information concerning the alleged coordination of the public statements by Bravo-affiliated personalities … and related public-relations efforts involving Defendant Cohen’s publicist, Jennifer Geisser.”
The claim appears to be connected to several Real Housewives stars who gave interviews shortly after McSweeney filed her lawsuit in 2024. Reports say majority of the cast members, including Kyle Richards, Heather Dubrow, Dorinda Medley, Melissa Gorga and Wendy Osefo, questioned or criticised McSweeney’s accusations during interviews.
Following the latest claim, Leah McSweeney’s attorney Gary Adelman stated, “We believe we have addressed the Court’s previous concerns and look forward to moving into discovery and ultimately questioning the defendants under oath — including Mr. Cohen, who will no longer be able to hide behind his Housewives.”
During the recent hearing, Leah McSweeney claimed that the alleged campaign against her has continued even after she updated her lawsuit. According to the filing, she believes the defendants are still trying to damage her reputation and she says this has continued to hurt her career.
In the newest court filing, which also mentions Jennifer Geisser, Leah McSweeney’s lawyers said they have added much more detail to the lawsuit after an earlier court decision. According to the filing, the updated complaint now includes coordinated actions against McSweeney, including efforts to spread negative stories in the media, block her from opportunities in the industry and damage her career.
