Leah McSweeney’s lawsuit against Andy Cohen, Bravo and others involved in making the “Real Housewives” shows appears to be gathering some momentum.
Page Six has learned that the suit — in which the former “Real Housewives of New York” and “Ultimate Girls Trip” star accuses the defendants of intentionally making her fall off the wagon in an attempt to boost ratings — has a court date for oral arguments.
We believe it to be the first time a cast member has argued their suit against the reality network in open court. Nene Leakes of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” previously sued the network, but it never went to court. “Real Housewives of New Jersey’s” Caroline Manzo also has a legal case pending.
Former “Real Housewives of New York City” star McSweeney claimed in her lawsuit filed that the show won its best audience figures ever when one of its stars appeared to be confused, irrational and losing touch with reality.
McSweeney’s lawyers claimed that — knowing she was battling alcohol addiction when she joined the show and had a history of serious mental health problems — producers saw her vulnerable condition as an opportunity to net big audience numbers by messing with her head until she went off the rails in a similar way.
She says that they were successful in their first alleged attempt to get her drinking again, but the second time they tried, she was able to resist.
McSweeney — who appeared on two seasons of “RHONY” and one season of “RHUGT” also famously claimed in the suit that Cohen has done cocaine with some of the stars of the “Housewives” shows. (He has strenuously denied all the claims against him).
She’s suing Cohen, Bravo, Shed Media, which produces “RHONY” and “RHUGT” for Bravo, and Warner Bros., which owns Shed, plus a handful of individual producers.
Lawyers for Cohen, Bravo and the others have filed a motion to dismiss the suit.
Now we hear that Judge Lewis J. Liman expects to hear oral arguments at a Downtown New York courthouse on October 30.
An insider told us that the court hearing will be an opportunity for the defense to argue for the motion and for McSweeney’s team to argue against it.
(Last month we reported that the judge has given McSweeney’s attorney the go-ahead to start digging for evidence in the defendants’ private files and devices while the court makes a call on the motion.)
