The former 'Real Housewives of New York City' star filed a lawsuit against the network on Feb. 27.
Andy Cohen is responding to Leah McSweeney's lawsuit against him and the Bravo network. In a letter sent to McSweeney from Cohen's attorney, Orin Snyder, the Bravo host says the lawsuit is "littered with false, offensive, and defamatory statements."
On Feb. 27, the former Real Housewives of New York City star filed a complaint against Cohen, Bravo and NBCUniversal, alleging that Cohen fostered a toxic workplace that encouraged alcohol consumption. She also alleges that she did not have a safe working environment amid her "alcohol use disorder" and "mental health disorders."
According to the complaint, McSweeney said she relapsed from her sobriety of nine years but was sober when she began filming season 12 of RHONY. She accuses producers of "intentionally planning scenarios intended to exacerbate disabilities" in order to "create morbidly salacious reality television."
In the complaint, she also accuses Cohen of engaging in "cocaine use with Housewives and other 'Bravolebrities' that he employs," alleging he has a "proclivity for cocaine usage with his employees."
"Cohen tends to provide the Housewives with whom he uses cocaine with more favorable treatment and edits," McSweeney alleges in the lawsuit. "Cohen intentionally uses cocaine with his employees to further promote a workplace culture that thrives off drug and alcohol abuse, which leads to a failure to accommodate employees who are disabled and attempting to remain substance free."
A rep for Cohen previously told ET, "The claims against Andy are completely false."
In the letter obtained by ET, Cohen's lawyer states that "virtually every" allegation made by McSweeney is "categorically false," and it specifically demands that her accusation that Cohen uses cocaine is "immediately" retracted and withdrawn.
"If you refuse to do so, Mr. Cohen reserves the right to hold you and your client accountable to the fullest extent of the law," the letter reads. "To be clear: these allegations are categorically false. Mr. Cohen never used cocaine with any cast member on any Real Housewives show or with any other Bravo employee... The allegations were obviously made up by you and/or your client to achieve maximum tabloid clickbait value in the hopes of weaponizing these false allegations -- along with other lies that permeate the complaint -- as leverage to force an unjustified settlement. It will not. Instead, this conduct only subjects you and your client to independent and substantial legal exposure."
The letter claims McSweeney and her counsel "lost any arguable legal immunity" when they "maliciously" turned to the media and other third parties with the alleged goal of painting Cohen in a negative light and creating a "media frenzy" that puts pressure on the father of two and the Bravo network to "force a settlement."
"The 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 furtherance of a shakedown," the letter reads. "We demand that you issue an immediate public retraction and apologize to Mr. Cohen. Every day you fail to do so only increases the damages suffered by Mr. Cohen."
McSweeney's attorney, Sarah M. Matz, of Adelman Matz P.C., responded to Cohen's letter in a statement to ET.
"That Andy Cohen had his counsel and PR agents write a threatening letter to give to the press is hardly surprising. Mr. Cohen is accustomed to using his power in the media to scare and intimidate people like Ms. McSweeney so that they will not speak out," Matz stated. "Mr. Cohen's attempt to discredit and intimidate Ms. McSweeney to deter her from engaging in legally protected activity in Court is exactly the type of retaliation that this lawsuit was brought to address and only is further evidence for Ms. McSweeney. We do not intend to litigate this matter in the press, and if Mr. Cohen wants to address Ms. McSweeney's claims, we suggest he do so in Court, not in a letter for the press."
Last Tuesday, McSweeney took to Instagram after the legal filing to share her reasoning behind the lawsuit.
"I was petrified to speak on it and was warned not to," McSweeney claimed, adding, "Your favorite Bravo shows are run by people who create a dangerous work environment, encourage substance abuse to artificially create drama and cynically prey on the vulnerabilities of their employees."
The Married to the Mob fashion designer added, "Today I am taking back my reality."
McSweeney added, "The reckless and diabolical way in which the people at the top drool over the mishaps and misfortunes of the women including myself are disturbing. It's a workplace culture where toxicity, alcoholism and pain are not only expected but encouraged and facilitated."
Brandi Glanville, a fellow Bravo alum who recently threatened legal action against Cohen and Bravo, commented on the post, "👏👏 We are NOT expendable. We are strong women & even stronger together. Time to take our power back ⭐️."
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