Real Housewives of New York City alum Heather Thomson has intervened in Leah McSweeney’s discrimination lawsuit against Andy Cohen, Bravo and Shed Media.
Heather, 54, was a friend of the show on season 13, the final season of RHONY before the show rebooted with an all-new cast, joining Leah, Ramona Singer, Luann de Lesseps, Sonja Morgan and Eboni K. Williams.
In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, the reality star opened up about her time on the show with the cast and her thoughts on the now-controversial lawsuit that was filed in February of this year.
When asked if she was surprised by how things turned out with McSweeney and the network, Heather responded: “No, I wasn’t. I’m sad.
“I’m very sad about the turn of events. It was not my experience on the show that I was pressured. I was never pressured, ever.
Real Housewives of New York City alum Heather Thomson has intervened in Leah McSweeney’s discrimination lawsuit against Andy Cohen, Bravo and Shed Media (Heather pictured in 2020)
Leah, pictured L in 2021, and Cohen, pictured R in 2023, have become embroiled in legal drama.
“I think the way this whole thing ended was that the writing was on the wall a little bit,” he continued, referring to the season 13 drop.
Heather then revealed that she is siding with Andy Cohen, following in the footsteps of many other Housewives who previously defended the executive producer, including Luann, Kyle Richards, Melissa Gorga, Cynthia Bailey, Lisa Vanderpump and Guerdy Abraira.
‘Yes, I support Andy on this. Definitely,” he joked while speaking to DailyMail.com on Nov. 14 in New York City.
Heather explained that she and Andy, 56, have stayed in touch and have even executive produced some show ideas together in the past. They tried to pitch a show called The Climb (which followed a group of women as they climbed Mount Kilimanjaro) about six or seven years ago, but it was never picked up.
The licensed health and wellness coach, who has her own Health Harmony & Heather podcast, said she wouldn’t have any fear if she and her co-stars were ever deposed in the lawsuit and had to take the stand in front of a judge.
‘I doubt it (the cast would be scared). I doubt. “I mean, I wouldn’t be,” he revealed.
‘You know, you tell the truth. Tell the truth. Tell what you really saw. I didn’t see… They weren’t holding her.’
Heather was a full-time cast member on seasons 5-7 of RHONY and then returned periodically over the following seasons. When she was asked to be friends with the cast again in season 13, she believed it was to bridge the gap between the OG Housewives and Leah and Eboni.
‘Well, I think they brought me back because the way they described it to me was to bridge the gap between the new younger housewives and the OGs. It made sense,” he explained.
Leah photographed on season 13 of RHONY
Heather, pictured L, was a full-time cast member on seasons 5-7 of RHONY and then returned periodically over the following seasons.
“Production felt that maybe I would talk to Eboni or hang out with her or Leah more than Luann or any of the other girls. But I wasn’t a good bridge.
Heather also thought that her return was the producers’ attempt to add more longevity to the show. At the time, she had “no idea” the show would be rebooted and was surprised, like many others, to learn there would be new faces.
In the New York-based lawsuit, McSweeney claimed that she had experienced a “hostile work environment” during her time on the television franchise, including sex/gender and disability discrimination.
McSweeney further alleged that Bravo was a “rotten workplace culture that relied solely on pressuring its employees to consume alcohol” and that producers “conspired with their colleagues to pressure Ms. McSweeney to drink.”
McSweeney said the producers did all of this knowing she struggled with an “alcohol use disorder” and “retaliated against her when she wanted to stay sober.”
DailyMail.com caught up with Heather as she promoted her Beyond Fresh Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) cleanse.
The product was recently launched at GNC retailers.
Thomson promoted his apple cider cleanse on Instagram
She also accused Cohen in the lawsuit of “using cocaine with the housekeepers he employs.”
A representative for Cohen told Dailymail.com in February that “the allegations against Andy are completely false” and a letter from Cohen’s lawyers obtained by TMZ The following month he urged McSweeney to retract his “categorically false” accusations or face a lawsuit.
Cohen’s lawyers have said that everything McSweeney claimed in the lawsuit is false and added of the cocaine claim: ‘We demand that he immediately retract and withdraw all allegations relating to Mr. Cohen’s alleged ‘cocaine use.'” .
‘To be clear: these accusations are categorically false. Mr. Cohen has never used cocaine with any cast member of any Real Housewives show or any other Bravo employee. The lack of a reasonable basis for making such allegations is confirmed by his own writing.
His lawyers point out that there are no details included in the indictment and claim that McSweeney made the explosive claim “just to make headlines and get a quick payday.”
Three months after the complaint was filed, Cohen filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing, for one, that the network never specifically intended to “feature intoxicated cast members” in the Housewives franchise.
On November 14, McSweeney appeared in court for her first hearing, the same day DailyMail.com caught up with Heather while she was promoting her Beyond Fresh Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) cleanse, which recently launched in GNC stores.
According Page sixThe Married to the Mob founder confronted Andy Cohen’s lawyers, including attorney Adam Levin.
They argued that interactions between McSweeney and the producers, even those off-camera, were part of their attempts to “craft a message” for viewers and are therefore protected by the First Amendment.
McSweeney’s attorney, Sarah Matz, reportedly responded by saying that “courts have never said that limits on free speech end in crime.”
McSweeney photographed on a 2021 episode of RHONY
Cohen photographed last month in London
“You are not allowed to violate people’s rights simply because a camera is pointed at them,” Matz said during the hearing. “There’s a difference between ‘crafting a message’ and making a show that you think people will watch.”
The case is still ongoing after the defendants requested that discovery in the case be stayed until the judge rules on the motion to dismiss.
Meanwhile, new episodes of RHONY season 15 air every Tuesday with castmates Sai De Silva, Ubah Hassan, Erin Lichy, Jenna Lyons, Jessel Taank, Brynn Whitfield and Racquel Chevremont.
Ratings have reportedly suffered with the premiere episode, which garnered 312,000 viewers, making it the lowest-rated episode in the series’ history.
‘I think people find it difficult to accept change, period. End of story. People don’t like change. They don’t like things to change,’ Heather theorized about the low ratings.
‘I heard one thing: they are a little cautious. I think (the producers) want to maybe show that women don’t behave badly, that women support (women). I’m not really sure. I’m totally talking out of school because I haven’t seen it.
‘But I did hear they were a little cautious. And maybe you’re not enjoying the drama, the kind of fun that you used to have on the show.