Leah McSweeney Explains Why Being An Ally In Black Lives Matter Movement Is Important To Her

Of all the white Bravolebrities showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement, perhaps none have been more vocal than Leah McSweeney. In recent weeks, the Real Housewives of New York City star has taken to the streets, attended protests, and posted regularly in support of BLM on social media.

Now, in a new interview, Leah is opening up about why being an ally to the movement is so personally important to her. (Hint: part of it has to do with her well-documented love for Lil’ Kim.)

Leah‘s explanation came during her appearance this week on Watch What Happens Live. First, Andy Cohen brought up the activism happening throughout New York City. “Well, there’s certainly been so much happening around the country these days. And Leah, you’ve been very vocal online about your support for the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests throughout the city of New York,” Andy said, before asking, “What’s been going through your mind with all the protests and stuff?”

“You know, back in 2014 when Eric Garner was murdered, the Black Lives Matter protests started back then and I was marching back then too,” the RHONY newbie replied. “Because not only did I have my own incident with the NYPD that was pretty traumatizing and left me thinking, ‘Imagine if I had been a Black guy, how much worse it could have been.’ But, you know, I’ve grown up with Black friends and growing up with heroes that are Black women like Lil’ Kim and Oprah. And loving Black music and Black culture, so it’s like, I feel pretty connected to…those issues.”

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RHONY fans first learned of Leah‘s experience as a victim of police brutality in the Season 12 premiere. During the episode, she bonded with Luann de Lesseps over their mutual mugshots by sharing her story. (Leah was arrested in 2002 for obstruction of justice and attacking a police officer.) “I sued the cops though, because they knocked my teeth out,” she said.

In her confessional, Leah went into further detail about watching police beat up her friend. “Knee-jerk reaction, I had a half-empty water bottle; threw it. It hit one of the cops in the back, and he punched me in the face. Slammed my face into the subway grates three times, and they locked me up.”

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Thankfully Leah turned the traumatizing event into something positive. “My silver lining was I won $75,000 from the cops,” she recounted to Luann in the premiere. “And then I started my own business [fashion line Married to the Mob] with the money.”

And now, she doesn’t plan on speaking out against police brutality, or in support of Black lives, any time soon. “I’m just happy that now my platform is growing even more than it was before,” the RHONY rookie concluded on WWHL. “And I can use the platform to spread awareness.”