Andy Cohen Denies Claims “Real Housewives of New York City” Alum Leah McSweeney Made in New Lawsuit

The 'RHONY' alum filed a lawsuit on Tuesday alleging the franchise executive producer and Bravo Media have created a "rotted" workplace culture where employees were pressured to consume alcohol

Andy Cohen has denied the claims raised by Real Housewives of New York City alum Leah McSweeney in a civil lawsuit filed earlier this week.

McSweeney, 41, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in the Southern District of New York, which was obtained by PEOPLE and alleged the Real Housewives executive producer, 55, and Bravo facilitated a “rotted" workplace culture where employees were pressured to consume alcohol. However, one day later, a rep for Cohen shared a statement with The Hollywood Reporter denying the allegations.

“The claims against Andy are completely false,” a rep for the Watch What Happens Live host reportedly told THR on Wednesday.

PEOPLE has reached out to Cohen for comment.

In addition to Cohen and Bravo Media, the suit also names NBC Universal Media, Warner Bros. Discovery, production company Shed Media US and producers John Paparazzo, Lisa Shannon and Darren Ward.

Related: Real Housewives Star Leah McSweeney Sues Andy Cohen and Bravo for Discrimination, Alleges Culture Promoting Alcohol and Drug Use

McSweeney — who joined RHONY in 2019 for two seasons and appeared on season 3 of The Real Housewives: Ultimate GirlsTrip — alleges in the filing that the defendants failed to maintain a safe working environment and accommodate her disabilities, including "alcohol use disorder" and "mental health disorders." Reps for Cohen, Bravo, Shed and Warner Bros did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's initial request for comment on McSweeney’s allegations.

The fashion designer claims in the filing that she told the producers she suffered from alcohol use disorder and had been sober for nine years until a brief relapse before filming season 12 of RHONY, but disclosed she wished to regain her sobriety. She further alleges in the suit that the producers intervened with her efforts to remain sober by "intentionally planning scenarios intended to exacerbate [her] disabilities," all in efforts to "create morbidly salacious reality television."

McSweeney also accuses Cohen of engaging in “cocaine use with Housewives and other 'Bravolebrities' that he employs” and providing “favorable treatment and edits” to those he allegedly uses the substance with.

Related: RHONY's Leah McSweeney Reflects on 'Horrible' Relapse and 'Getting Totally Blackout Drunk' in Season 12 (Exclusive)

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a source also denied the allegation that Cohen “does cocaine with any Housewives,” calling it “outrageous.”

The outlet also reports that a source close to the franchise’s production alleged that McSweeney was in talks about being cast on RHONY: Legacy but ultimately was not chosen for the ensemble, given her short tenure on the series. The production source told THR, “If she was cast in Legacy like she wanted, this wouldn’t be happening.”

The Married to the Mob founder has also since shared a lengthy statement about her decision to file a civil suit. She took to Instagram on Tuesday to post a carousel of text, which she captioned, “In my own words...”

Related: Andy Cohen Apologizes After Brandi Glanville Accuses Him of Sexual Harassment, Says Explicit Proposal Was ‘Meant in Jest’

She wrote, “This is not a story I ever thought I would be telling; in fact, I was petrified to speak on it and was warned not to."

After iterating the nature of the suit and how personal it is, as well as how incidents have been edited for television, McSweeney also wrote of her intentions with the suit.

"I have love and respect for many of the Bravo talent and getting to know them was a positive experience in all of this," she continued. "I may be a pariah to them after this, but I do hope my lawsuit helps reality TV to align with its true purpose: to authentically depict the complexities of life while offering genuine support to those who share their stories."

"I’ve been trying to address this internationally for years now but have been dismissed, stone-walled, and gaslit (but actually) at every turn since. Bravo can try to manipulate my reality and others’ all they want, but the cold hard facts of this case are as real as it gets," the statement concludes.

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