A judge has ruled that Bravo star Leah McSweeney can continue to go after the network in court.
The “Real Housewives of New York City” star claimed in a bombshell February 2024 lawsuit that producers preyed on her alcohol addiction, intentionally trying to make her fall off the wagon in an attempt to make ratings-grabbing TV.
Bravo filed a motion in May to dismiss her suit.
But on Monday a judge published at 100-page ruling that dismisses parts of the suit but allows her to keep much of her case in tact, including the crux of her case: that “producers directly coerced and harassed [her] based on her [addiction].”
Judge Lewis Liman agreed with the producers’ oral arguments — which they made in a New York court in November — that they had a First Amendment right to demand that stars of the famously booze-soaked flagship show drink alcohol while making the show since “it is not incidental but central to the show’s message that the drinking activities it portrays are authentic and genuine.”
But Judge Liman said she can continue to sue Bravo over how they treated her drinking issues.
The judged noted that McSweeney alleged that the producers “joked about [her] drinking issues in her presence despite her requests that they stop, taunted her about her alcohol use disorder and tried to undermine her sobriety through harassing comments, directed other cast members to bring up [her] mental health and substance abuse issues and to call [her] a drug addict, and coached fellow cast members to further disparage [her].”
He said they’ll have to answer for those allegations.
He also rules that she can continue to sue over allegations that — while she was preparing to appear on “RHONY” spin-off “Ultimate Girls Trip” — producers told McSweeney that she would be able to go to AA during the shoot, but changed their minds once they were on location.
Liman wrote: “Her request to attend an AA meeting could have been accommodated without unreasonable hardship or expense.”
Both sides will now begin demanding each other’s private records, texts and emails and will request under-oath interviews.
McSweeney’s attorney, Gary Adelman of Adelman Matz, told Page Six: “We thank the Judge for his care in his 100 page decision that kept the majority of the major claims against the defendants and continues to give full life to Leah’s lawsuit and another step closer to holding the defendants accountable.”
He added: “While we disagree with his findings on the minor claims and will certainly be filing an amended complaint to address his questions, this decision is not a scorecard, it was an affirmation that there are serious claims and that they will proceed in Court.”
McSweeney appeared on the show from 2021-2022.
Bravo declined a request for comment.
