Former Real Housewives<\/em><\/a> of New York City<\/em> and Ultimate Girls Trip: Thailand<\/em> solid member Leah McSweeney<\/strong> has filed a civil go well with in a New York federal court docket in opposition to Bravo and its guardian firm, NBCUniversal, in addition to manufacturing firm Shed Media and its guardian firm, Warner Bros. Discovery. The submitting additionally names as a defendant Andy Cohen,<\/strong> the Bravo character who’s an govt producer of The Real Housewives<\/em> and the host of the nightly speak present Watch What Happens Live. RHONY<\/em> and UGT<\/em> govt producers Darren Ward, John Paparazzo,<\/strong> and Lisa Shannon<\/strong> (an govt at Shed) are the one different particular person defendants within the lawsuit, which was filed by McSweeney\u2019s attorneys, Sarah Matz<\/strong> and Gary Adelman.<\/strong> (No defendants instantly responded to Vanity Fair<\/em>\u2019s request for remark.) As Vanity Fair<\/em> has already reported<\/a>, all events have been beforehand named in a March 10, 2023, employment discrimination grievance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In October, that grievance was dismissed at McSweeney\u2019s request on the grounds that she deliberate to sue the respondents in court docket.<\/p>\n The submitting begins, \u201cWhere there is smoke, there is fire. Defendants discriminated against, tormented, demoralized, demeaned, harassed and retaliated against Ms. McSweeney because she is a woman with disabilities, such as alcohol use disorder and various mental health disorders, all in the name of selling drama.\u201d<\/p>\n It describes \u201ca rotted workplace culture that uniquely depended on pressuring its employees to consume alcohol\u201d and states, \u201cDefendants with the knowledge that Ms. McSweeney struggled with alcohol use disorder, colluded with her colleagues to pressure Ms. McSweeney to drink, retaliated against her when she wanted to stay sober, and intentionally failed to provide reasonable accommodations that would aid her efforts to stay sober and able to perform.\u201d<\/p>\n According to the submitting, \u201cShannon specifically told Ms. McSweeney, and upon information and belief, also told the other cast members, that Defendants terminated [Dorinda] Medley<\/strong> [from RHONY<\/em>] because Medley transformed from a \u2018fun drunk\u2019 to a \u2018mean drunk.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The submitting states, \u201cupon information and belief\u201d Cohen, \u201cengages in cocaine use with Housewives and other \u2018Bravolebrities\u2019 that he employs\u201d and that he \u201ctends to provide theHousewives with whom he uses cocaine with more favorable treatment and edits.\u201d<\/p>\n The submitting additionally says Cohen \u201crepeatedly commented on Plaintiff’s breast augmentation surgery and implied that Plaintiff’s surgery allowed her to properly fit the role of \u2018housewife.\u2019”<\/p>\n Former Real Housewife Caroline Manzo<\/strong> has also filed a civil suit recently. Like McSweeney\u2019s, her suit centers on the work environment at Ultimate Girls Trip<\/em> (though a different season). And like McSweeney\u2019s complaint, Manzo\u2019s names NBCUniversal, Bravo, and Shed Media. NBCU\u2019s streaming service, Peacock; Shed\u2019s parent division, Warner Bros. Entertainment; and a Shed subsidiary called Forest Productions Inc. are also defendants. Executive producer Shannon is mentioned in both but not named as a defendant in Manzo\u2019s suit. Manzo\u2019s filing mentions co-executive producer Shanae Humphrey.<\/strong> The filing alleges that producers encouraged cast member Brandi Glanville<\/strong> to drink alcohol during production of Ultimate Girls Trip: Morocco<\/em> so that she would \u201cbe more likely to commit outrageous and harassing acts, thereby helping Defendants\u2019 ratings without regard to the rights and safety of those around her.\u201d Manzo alleges that Glanville \u201cgroped, grabbed, and forcibly fondled Manzo\u2019s vagina and breasts.\u201d According to her submitting, Manzo screamed for assist, although nobody from manufacturing intervened. (Glanville shouldn’t be named as a defendant.)<\/p>\n In an interview for the story that was printed a number of months previous to the lawsuit, \u201cInside the Real Housewives<\/em> Reckoning That\u2019s Rocking Bravo,\u201d<\/a> Glanville informed Vanity Fair<\/em> that producers had informed her to \u201cparty\u201d and given her photographs of alcohol. \u201cThe whole point of these shows is to get us unhinged. If there was an issue or situation where someone was uncomfortable in Morocco, no one in production or the crew or cast intervened in the moment,\u201d Glanville mentioned to Vanity Fair<\/em> on the time. (Manzo declined Vanity Fair<\/em>\u2019s requests for remark for that story and this one.) On a earlier season of UGT,<\/em> Glanville gave a lap dance to and tried to kiss one other solid member, and ripped the shirt off a butler employed to look within the season. (In October, the butler, Marco Vega,<\/strong> filed go well with in opposition to the identical defendants by the identical legal professional at the moment representing Manzo, Derek Smith.<\/strong> The submitting additionally alleges that solid member Phaedra Parks<\/strong> \u201cslapped\u201d Vega \u201con his buttocks.\u201d Vega’s case continues to be pending; he declined to remark to VF<\/em>. )<\/p>\n According to Manzo\u2019s submitting, on January 24, 2023, Shannon and Humphrey requested Manzo what occurred within the rest room, and Manzo cried, relayed the interplay, and mentioned she by no means needed to be alone with Glanville once more. The following day, based on the go well with, \u201cLisa Shannon and Shanae Humphrey asked Manzo to meet with Glanville. They told Manzo that the acts committed by Glanville were just her way of showing Manzo love as per Glanville. Despite the fact that Manzo was so emotionally distraught and despite the fact that Manzo asked not to be around Glanville, Defendants still wanted Manzo to meet with Glanville. Defendants were more focused on the continuation of the show rather than the health and well-being of Manzo after she was sexually abused.\u201d Glanville and Manzo each left the set earlier than filming ended and haven’t appeared on Bravo since.<\/p>\n Smith, Vega and Manzo\u2019s lawyer informed VF,<\/em> \u201cWe believe this case is about the networks selfishly sacrificing the well-being of their talent for ratings and profit. Brandi Glanville stated she was simply doing what the producers told her to do. Reality TV is leading to severe emotional and physical harm of its talent. This must stop.\u201d On January 31, a stipulation was filed stating the defendants should reply to the grievance by April 2.<\/p>\n On Thursday, February 22, Glanville\u2019s legal professional, Bryan Freedman,<\/strong> despatched a letter to NBCUniversal, Shed Media, and Shed\u2019s guardian firm, Warner Bros. Discovery. The letter states Glanville was \u201csubjected to a vicious media campaign based on false allegations of sexual misconduct. The false narrative, which NBC and Shed Media have apparently decided to foment, arises from Ms. Glanville\u2019s experience on Ultimate Girls Trip: Morocco.<\/em>\u201d The letter features a discover of responsibility to protect proof for paperwork and correspondence associated to Glanville and Manzo\u2019s UGT<\/em> expertise.<\/p>\n The letter additionally describes a video recording of an \u201cinebriated\u201d Andy Cohen despatched to Glanville, which shared \u201chis intention to sleep with another Bravo star that night while thinking of her [Glanville] and invited her to watch via Facetime.\u201d After the letter turned public, Cohen posted<\/a> on X: \u201cThe video shows Kate Chastain<\/strong> and I very clearly joking to Brandi. It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandi\u2019s response clearly communicated she was in on the joke. That said, it was totally inappropriate and I apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cInside the Real Housewives<\/em> Reckoning That\u2019s Rocking Bravo\u201d characterised Cohen\u2019s relationship to Bravo this fashion: \u201cThe series and cast members orbit around Cohen, who described himself to me during a 2021 interview for New York<\/em> magazine as their \u2018boss,\u2019 among other roles, including \u2018father.\u2019 It\u2019s an unusual employment arrangement and a singular workplace.\u201d<\/p>\n During the primary day of BravoCon 2023, an viewers member at a Q&A requested Cohen<\/a> whether or not UGT: Morocco<\/em> would air. Cohen, who’s a co-executive producer on the present, replied, \u201cThere was a weird thing online that said it\u2019s not airing. We had two [UGT<\/em>s] in the can and basically just decided to push RHONY Legacy<\/em> up because there was so much interest, and that\u2019s the only thing that happened. RHONY Legacy<\/em> jumped that spot in line.\u201d He clarified the state of affairs in a follow-up interview with The Wrap<\/a>: \u201cIt\u2019s there, it\u2019s done, and I hope everyone sees it soon.\u201d<\/p>\n When one other BravoCon attendee requested concerning the \u201creality reckoning,\u201d Cohen mentioned,<\/a> \u201cI live in the joy these shows bring people. I think we all do.\u201d He turned to the gang and mentioned, \u201cWhich is why we\u2019re all here\u2026to have fun!\u201d The viewers, a few of whom had paid 1000’s of {dollars} to journey and attend, applauded.<\/p>\n After VF<\/em>\u2019s story was printed, an unofficial Bravo recap podcast referred to as Watch What Crappens<\/em> posted an Instagram meme with the caption, \u201cVanity Fair<\/em> breaks the news that adults drink and Ramona [Singer]<\/strong> is racist.\u201d Cohen responded within the feedback with a \u201ccrying laughing\u201d \ud83d\ude02 emoji<\/a>. Though Cohen declined to remark for the Vanity Fair<\/em> story, after it was printed, he informed Variety<\/em><\/a> and at the moment.com<\/a> (the latter of which is, like Bravo, owned by NBCUniversal) that the article was \u201ca factually incorrect rehash.\u201d<\/p>\n Bravo moved ahead with its relationship with Singer, casting her in two seasons of Ultimate Girls Trip<\/em> regardless of corroborated stories of racism on the set of season 13 of RHONY,<\/em> together with the allegation that she used the N-word whereas talking to a Black manufacturing member. However, amid the press protection following the VF<\/em> story, Singer was disinvited from BravoCon after she texted \u201cn-g\u201d<\/a> to a Page Six reporter whereas denying she had used the slur. Several weeks later, she attended<\/a> the UGT<\/em> premiere.<\/p>\n More Reporting by Anna Peele<\/strong><\/p>\n
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