Leah McSweeney is “looking forward” to taking her discrimination complaint one step further by suing Bravo.
One of the former “Real Housewives of New York City” star’s fans commented on her Instagram post Wednesday about being “lawyered up,” telling her in a message of support, “Miss you on RHONY. Read Vanity Fair. I wish you $$$ in lawsuit. You deserved better by antagonist @bravotv producers!”
McSweeney responded, “thank u appreciate you. I’m very much looking forward to depositions :).”
A source tells Pvnew exclusively that the Married to the Mob designer plans to go “all the way” with the network and will refuse any settlement offers.
“She doesn’t want money through a settlement,” our insider says. “She wants a trial. She wants [Bravo execs] in front of a jury.”
We also hear that McSweeney’s suit, which is imminent, will contain “sordid details” that Bravo cannot conceal because they will be in court documents.
“She wants to hold them accountable, but she also wants to move on,” our source adds.
Reps for Bravo didn’t immediately return Pvnew’s request for comment.
McSweeney, 41, confirmed a Vanity Fair exposé published Monday that she and her attorneys filed the discrimination complaint on March 10, claiming Bravo had violated the Americans with Disabilities Act while she filmed “The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip” Season 3.
The Bravolebrity described her tumultuous time starring in the franchise, from relapsing on Season 12 of “RHONY” to missing her grandmother’s death during a cast trip to the Hamptons the following year.
“It hurt so bad that I was not able to grieve,” she told the magazine. “That I had people not showing me any kind of compassion or humanity regarding it.”
The tragic loss led to a major depressive episode, with McSweeney going on to spend eight days at a psychiatric hospital.
A production source, however, told Vanity Fair that she was offered help at “whatever day or time [she] need[ed] to be with [her] grandmother.”
As the show aired, Shed Media’s senior vice president of programming and development, Lisa Shannon, allegedly told McSweeney that viewers “didn’t like” her because “there was such a stark difference between [her] when [she was] drinking versus this season.”
McSweeney quit “RHONY” but agreed to film “RHUGT” for one week because of its $250,000 paycheck.
While working on the Peacock spinoff, the reality star’s cast members pressured her to imbibe despite her history of substance abuse.
“I wish you were still drinking. That’s all,” Marysol Patton admitted to texting her co-star before the Thailand trip.
On camera, Heather Gay shared her desire to “get Leah drunk” at the time, while Gizelle Bryant asked, “Like, if you drank this week, would that be a big deal?”
An attorney for Bravo, Shed Media and its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, denied McSweeney’s claims of discrimination.
“Production spent endless amounts of time accommodating her,” Christie Del Rey-Cone told the outlet of McSweeney’s “alleged disabilities,” referencing her drug and alcohol addiction struggles.
Rey-Cone also claimed that production had offered McSweeney support on numerous occasions, which the fashion designer believed was “reneged on” or not “offered in good faith.”
Following the publication of the explosive story, McSweeney told Pvnew exclusively that Bravo’s PR “worked overtime to hide the truth.”
