Cohen rips cocaine claim
THE battle behind the scenes at Bravo is getting as heated as a “Housewives” reunion!
Andy Cohen is calling former “Real Housewives of New York City” star Leah McSweeney’s bombshell lawsuit against him a “shakedown,” claiming McSweeney is trying to “force an unjustified settlement” with the “RHONY” executive producer.
McSweeney’s suit, filed late last month, alleged that Cohen likes to snort cocaine with some of the “Housewives” stars. Cohen’s lawyer says that’s “categorically false,” and wrote in a letter to McSweeney’s legal team, seen by Page Six: “Mr. Cohen never used cocaine with any cast member on any ‘Real Housewives’ show or with any other Bravo employee.”
McSweeney’s lawsuit claims that Cohen, 55, “engages in cocaine use with Housewives that he employs . . . Cohen’s proclivity for cocaine usage with his employees is well-known throughout the Real Housewives franchise.”
The reality star, 41, who is in recovery, made the allegations about Cohen as part of her case alleging the network preyed on her alcohol problem in a cynical attempt to boost ratings.
Cohen’s lawyer, Orin Snyder, says in his fiery letter to McSweeney’s legal team that their suit is “littered with false, offensive, and defamatory statements” and tells her legal team “we demand that you immediately retract and withdraw all allegations relating to Mr. Cohen’s purported ‘cocaine use.’ ” Adding that “an allegation of drug use in the workplace is a serious charge,” they also want an apology.
Snyder goes on: “The allegations were obviously made up by you and/or your client to achieve maximum tabloid clickbait value in the hopes of weaponizing these false allegations — along with other lies that permeate the complaint — as leverage to force an unjustified settlement. It will not. Instead, this conduct only subjects you and your client to independent and substantial legal exposure.”
McSweeney’s lawyer didn’t respond to our request for comment.