After Bravo boss Andy Cohen was cleared by the network for allegations including promoting drug use — former reality star Leah McSweeney’s lawyers are calling into question the legitimacy of the probe and saying they were never contacted by investigators.
Leah McSweeney’s lawyers are not happy with Bravo’s investigation into Andy Cohen.Getty Images
They further claim Bravo is just using Cohen’s being cleared as a convenient party line timed to its upfront presentations for advertisers, when networks promote their buzziest titles.
Bravo stated this week that, “The outside investigation into the recent allegations made by Brandi Glanville and Leah McSweeney against Andy Cohen has now been completed, and the claims were found to be unsubstantiated.”
McSweeney’s lawyers aren’t buying it.
“How do you have an investigation without speaking with to anyone? As far as we know no one ever contacted our firm,” her lawyer Gary Adelman said in a statement. “Our opinion is that no one is going to believe this was a real investigation.”
“This is perfect timing,” the attorney said. “One line so they can repeat it to all the advertisers at the upfronts.”
He added, “We look forward to reviewing all of the interviews, evidence and final reports of the investigation that NBCU conducted, when we receive them during the Discovery phase of the lawsuit.”
Former Bravo star McSweeney, who is sober, filed suit in February claiming Cohen, “rewards [‘Real Housewives’ stars] with whom he uses cocaine with more favorable treatment and edits.”
She also alleged that Cohen created 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.”
Cohen adamantly denied the claims, and his lawyers demanded an apology.
Fellow former “Housewives” star Brandi Glanville’s lawyers also sent a letter to NBCUniversal, Shed Media and Shed’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery in March, alleging Cohen sent her a sexually inappropriate video.
Cohen, who is gay, apologized and said it was a joke.
Cohen has called McSweeney’s claims “hurtful,” and added, “I know what the truth is and I know how I’ve conducted myself, and I walk tall every day on that.”
Bravo did not get back to us.
