Andy Cohen and Bravo Settle Leah McSweeney Lawsuit as RHONY Alum Withdraws Suit

Andy Cohen and Bravo settled a lawsuit brought by "Real Housewives of New York" alum Leah McSweeney, who had claimed they preyed on her alcoholism, and McSweeney withdrew the suit. Page Six reported the settlement on October 30, 2026, and the dollar figure is unknown.

How the McSweeney Case Reached a Settlement

McSweeney sued Bravo TV, Cohen and others in January 2024, claiming they had preyed on her alcohol addiction and tried to get her to fall off the wagon because they believed she would draw better ratings if she were drunk. Other Bravo stars have sued the network, including "Real Housewives of Atlanta's" Nene Leakes, but in November 2024 McSweeney's suit became the first one taken all the way into a courtroom.

New York Judge Lewis Liman found after a hearing that Bravo had a First Amendment right to require its stars to drink to excess, but he said he wanted the network to answer for the allegedly brutal methods it had used to encourage McSweeney to drink. Liman noted that McSweeney, who appeared on two seasons of "RHONY" and a season of "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip," alleged that 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.

McSweeney had been sober for 10 years but relapsed shortly before she began filming the show in 2019, according to the report. She claimed in the suit that producers had pressured her to return to drinking and that she suffered serious psychological and emotional anguish during her time with the show. Cohen denied her claim that he had snorted cocaine with favored cast members, and his attorney accused her of a "shakedown" and demanded she withdraw the cocaine claim and apologize; McSweeney has issued no apology and Cohen has not filed suit.

Her attorney, Gary Adelman of the law firm Adelman Matz, told Page Six on Friday, "We are extremely satisfied with the outcome [and] we are proud of Leah and her perseverance." Bravo didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bravo's Reality Franchise Business

Bravo is a U.S. cable television network and streaming brand owned by NBCUniversal (Comcast), producing unscripted franchises such as The Real Housewives, Below Deck and Top Chef for linear broadcast, Peacock streaming and authenticated digital viewing, according to akta.pro company records. The same records list a catalog of more than 100 shows, including the Real Housewives franchise with 10 or more city variants and the Below Deck franchise with four or more series, and a revenue estimate of $250 million to $500 million.

Bravo's Recent Programming Moves

On October 30, 2026, Yahoo reported that Bravo renewed Southern Hospitality and announced a new microdrama while Real Housewives of Miami remains on pause, and that Andy Cohen criticized the decision, saying fans want Miami back. On October 29, 2026, Yahoo reported that Bravo released the trailer for The Real Housewives of Orange County Season 20 reunion, a two-part event premiering Thursday, November 5 at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo and streaming on Peacock, with host Andy Cohen and eight cast members. On October 23, 2026, Yahoo reported that Charleston hosted the first-ever Bravo Fan Fest, drawing nearly 45 stars from shows like Southern Charm and Real Housewives.

What Comes Next for Bravo

The two-part Real Housewives of Orange County Season 20 reunion premieres November 5 at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo and streams on Peacock.