In recent weeks, the Bravosphere has been sent into a tailspin. It’s been tossed off its axis by former Real Housewives stars who have decided to file lawsuits regarding how they were treated by the network and Andy Cohen. The allegations are serious, and there may even be a day in court. But before any witnesses have testified, some Bravo stars are marking a clear line when it comes to supporting the King of Bravo. Who will be on the right side? Let’s take a look.
Team Andy
Tamra Judge of the Real Housewives of Orange County made it clear. “Don’t come for the housewives or @bravoandy honey because you will be banished.” Andy has a whole team on his side, including Chanel Ayan, Guerdy Abraira, Cynthia Bailey, Kandi Burruss, Margaret Josephs, and Kyle Richards. It is nice to see multiple Bravo stars standing up for their fearless leader. However, I wonder if they have all jumped into the lifeboat just a bit prematurely without knowing all the facts.
Luann de Lesseps shared with TMZ, “I can only say my experience. Part of the Housewives is parties, and of course, there’s drinking involved. But it’s not like someone forced her to drink. You can’t force someone to drink something. You have to be the person who picks up the drink. I’ve known Andy for years, and it’s not in his character. And I’ve never, ever seen in the years that I’ve been doing Housewives any drug abuse.” But could some of these supporters just be protecting their cash cow?
Team Former Real Housewives
I don’t believe any honest lawyer would take a case if there wasn’t evidence to support their mission. And by the way, there isn’t just one former Real Housewives star filing lawsuits; there are three. Caroline Manzo filed a lawsuit against Bravo, Forest Productions Inc., Warner Brothers Entertainment, NBCUniversal Media, Shed Media US, and Peacock TV. The former Real Housewives of New Jersey star claimed that the plaintiffs sacrificed “their cast members” safety for their own ratings and profits.” The lawsuit also claimed that the cast was provided with alcohol to get them “severely intoxicated” and then directed and encouraged “them to sexually harass other cast members because that is good for ratings.”
Brandi Glanville has also accused Andy of sexual harassment, claiming the father of two had invited her to watch him have sex with another Bravo star. Brandi’s legal letter claimed it was an “extraordinary abuse of power” that “left Ms. Glanville feeling trapped and disgusted.” Leah McSweeney is the newest former housewife to file a lawsuit alleging a “rotted workplace culture.” Leah’s lawsuit also named Bravo, NBC/Universal, production house Shed Media U, and producers John Paparazzo, Lisa Shannon, and Darren Ward and accused them of intentionally playing into her struggle with alcoholism.
Leah’s lawsuit also accused Andy of playing favorites with those who party with him. Leah also noted that while filming in Thailand, her rights were violated when she wasn’t allowed to get help for her addiction issues.
Andy Denies Allegations
Last week, a rep for the Bravo kingpin told The Hollywood Reporter, “The claims against Andy are completely false. It’s outrageous that anyone would make a claim that Andy does cocaine with any Housewives.” Personally, I don’t think Andy would be that dumb to offer these women who have made a living off of being dramatic and using each other’s secrets against one another any kind of drugs or invite them to watch sexual footage.
However, I am worried about Bravo. I am curious how the network and Andy will handle these allegations because they need to be addressed. No one wants to blindly support a TV personality who may have done wrong, so I think, at the very least, viewers need to know the truth. I’d be surprised if any of these lawsuits made it into a courtroom, as I suspect that the network will want to settle out of court. But only time will tell which side was the right side to be on.
TELL US – WHOSE TEAM ARE YOU ON?
