There's a lot going on in the land of Bravo reality shows — but we've got all the tea you need to know!
In the last few months, Bravo — along with TV host and producer Andy Cohen — have been hit with lawsuits and accusations from "Bravolebrities," a.k.a. cast members of reality shows that aired on the NBCUniversal-owned cable network. With so many news reports, social media posts, and cryptic rumors floating around, it's been difficult to keep track of what's going on in the Bravo universe.
So, buckle up, and let us guide you through this saga!
Bravo's recent history with legal issues.
Bravo is not new to legal drama stemming from The Real Housewives franchise. From Jen Shah's fraud case to Erika Jayne's embezzlement case, these legal issues have become literal storylines that play out in recent Housewives seasons and keep fans on their toes waiting for the next piece of information. Within the last year, however, Cohen and Bravo have found themselves the targets of legal messiness.
In 2022, former Real Housewife of Atlanta star NeNe Leakes sued Bravo for alleged racial discrimination in the workplace. Bravo, Cohen, and a few production companies were named in the suit. While the former RHOA star didn't comment further on the lawsuit, it was eventually dismissed "without prejudice," which means that she could sue again with the same claims.
Bethenny Frankel's push for reality TV stars to create a union.
During the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strikes of 2023, Real Housewives of New York alum Bethenny Frankel started advocating for the creation of a union to protect reality TV stars.
Outlets at the time reported that lawyers had requested NBCUniversal save records for a potential lawsuit in the future. However, Frankel later clarified to Variety that she wasn't suing Bravo; rather, she was planning to help other reality TV stars get justice.
And yet, a few lawsuits against Bravo reality shows are still active as of 2024.
Faith Stowers' lawsuit for racism and harassment.
Faith Stowers, a former cast member on Vanderpump Rules, is suing the network for racism, sexual harassment, and physical assault. In 2018, Stowers was fired from the series after being blamed by her costars for a crime she did not commit. According to Stowers, she was allegedly threatened with legal action if she spoke out. As it stands, the lawsuit is still active.
Leah McSweeney's lawsuit for discrimination and retaliation.
Real Housewives of New York City alum Leah McSweeney is suing both Bravo and Cohen for discrimination and retaliation. The suit alleges that Bravo and Cohen failed to maintain a safe working environment while filming Housewives and pushed cast members to drink alcohol.
The lawsuit also alleges that neither Bravo nor Cohen made accommodations for McSweeney despite how open she had been with producers regarding her sobriety. The parties involved in this lawsuit have been back and forth in the media, but McSweeney has maintained her initial allegations and then accused Cohen of doing drugs with certain Housewives stars.
Cohen's team responded, "To be clear: these allegations are categorically false. Mr. Cohen never used cocaine with any cast member on any Real Housewives show or with any other Bravo employee."
Caroline Manzo's lawsuit for sexual harassment.
Another high-profile case comes from Caroline Manzo, who is suing Bravo for sexual harassment that allegedly took place while filming The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. Even though Manzo claimed that Brandi Glanville was responsible for the assault, Manzo chose not to sue Glanville directly — instead targeting Bravo and its affiliate companies. The court document states:
"Defendants, including Bravo, regularly ply the Real Housewives cast with alcohol, cause them to become severely intoxicated, and then direct, encourage, and/or allow them to sexually harass other cast members because that is good for ratings. This lawsuit seeks to hold Defendants accountable for their unlawful conduct and hopefully discourage Defendants from continuing to sacrifice their cast members’ safety for their own ratings and profits."
Manzo and her legal team claim that Bravo producers allowed Glanville to stay on the show even after learning about Glanville's allegedly inappropriate behavior on other projects. The documents also included alleged tweets (now X posts) from Glanville that seemed to expose producers for misbehavior.
Andy Cohen's current state with Bravo.
It's unclear how long these legal battles against Bravo will last. And if all of this drama wasn't already enough, new rumors are coming to the surface regarding Cohen's potential exit from the network. Sources have told news outlets that Cohen is not leaving Bravo, but fans are still waiting for new developments.
In the meantime, we'll stay tuned for new statements and/or social media posts from Andy Cohen himself, as well as any updates from the Real Housewives stars who filed these lawsuits.