Leah McSweeney’s Legal Team Drops Bombshell: Andy Cohen Allegedly Smokes Cigarettes While Drunk, According to Court Docs
The Real Housewives universe just got hit with a legal explosion no one saw coming. Former Real Housewives of New York City star Leah McSweeney is turning up the heat on Bravo’s biggest power player — and this time, the allegations are straight out of a scandal movie.
According to newly filed court documents, McSweeney’s legal team claims that Andy Cohen, the face of Bravo and executive producer behind its most successful franchises, “sometimes smokes cigarettes when drunk.” The revelation, while seemingly minor, has sent shockwaves through both the entertainment industry and Bravo fandom — not because of the act itself, but because of what it represents: the unraveling of one of reality TV’s most tightly controlled public images.
The documents reportedly emerged as part of McSweeney’s ongoing lawsuit against Bravo and Cohen, in which she has accused the network of fostering a toxic, exploitative environment and enabling substance abuse behind the cameras. Now, this new claim adds yet another layer of controversy to an already combustible situation.
Insiders close to the network are said to be “in full crisis mode,” scrambling to contain the fallout. “Andy’s entire brand is built on charm, control, and charisma,” one Bravo insider told us. “This makes him look human — but not in the good way.”
Social media, predictably, has gone nuclear. Fans have taken to X (formerly Twitter) with divided opinions: some defending Cohen as the victim of a “smear campaign,” while others argue the allegations expose the dark underbelly of Bravo’s glamorous facade.
As of now, Cohen’s camp has not publicly commented, but the silence is only fueling the fire. McSweeney’s legal team, on the other hand, appears ready to go all in. “This is just the beginning,” one source familiar with the case teased.
Whether this claim proves true or not, one thing’s for certain — Bravo’s glossy empire of champagne, confessions, and catfights has never looked more fragile.
RHOP’s Gizelle Bryant Gives Romance Update
Season ten of “Real Housewives of Potomac” is already off to a crazy start. The cast spent the first few episodes circling Stacey Rusch’s relationship status. For those not in the loop, it has been confirmed that after she and her longtime husband’s divorce became final, they started to date again. They have reunited, but are taking things slowly.
Stacey got tired of having all eyes on her, so she suggested that people instead speculate on her castmate, Gizelle Bryant. Stacey insisted that Gizelle’s “new man” is NFL vet Shawn Springs. During episode four of RHOP, Stacey went on a fact-finding mission, leading Gizelle to dish on her relationship status.
Is the RHOP OG Dating Shawn Springs?
Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for ESSENCE
In the episode, the ladies enjoyed a group lunch at the Preakness Stakes horse race. Stacey wasted no time in asking Gizelle point-blank if she had a boyfriend. “I do not. … I’m single,” Gizelle replied. Stacey cooled her heels for a little while, until the conversation came up again around another cast dinner table.
“You guys are always talking about my relationship; why don’t we talk about yours, Gizelle?” Stacey said, before sharing photos circulating on a date. “You have a whole man. His name is Shawn Springs, and he played in the NFL.”
“That’s not a boyfriend; that’s a date,” Gizelle quickly responded. She then confirmed that Shawn is still a date, stating, “Yeah. He’s still around.”
“If I’m around anyone, these girls automatically assume this is my boyfriend and he’s gonna be my fiancé and then he’s gonna be my husband. And actually, that’s not how life works,” Gizelle then explained while in a RHOP confessional.
Gizelle Wasn’t Alone When She Met Shawn Springs
Jocelyn Prescod/Bravo
While Ashley Darby seems to have avoided discussing Gizelle’s dating life, she admits she was there when Shawn Springs first appeared.
“The night that they met each other initially was at a birthday party,” she eventually shared with the ladies. “And he came very correct to her. He was wearing a nice little Fendi sweater. He’s very intellectual. And they just went out on a couple dates.”
Even after the truth and some details were discussed, Stacey was still bothered. “It is beyond me that Gizelle calls me a liar and says that I’m a phony and a fake, when she’s the one faking it all along,” Stacey said in a confessional. “Why are the standards with me so different than everybody else?”
Are there double standards within the RHOP cast? Or is Stacey extra sensitive after seemingly being caught in some things that were less than truthful?
