The Bravo reckoning is lastly being addressed by Andy Cohen, the face of the “Actual Housewives” franchise, Bravo itself and longtime host of “Watch What Occurs Stay.”
In a profile for the Hollywood Reporter, the Bravo producer and host stated, “Clearly, it’s no enjoyable to be a goal. So, sure, it’s hurtful.” Cohen and Bravo have been mired in sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuits, allegations of drug use on set and questions on pay and exploitative labor ways which have darkly clouded the community and its widespread “Housewives” franchise.
Earlier this 12 months, former “Housewives” alum Caroline Manzo sued Bravo, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Leisure and Peacock for claims {that a} fellow castmate, Brandi Glanville, sexually harassed Manzo. In response to Deadline, the lawsuit additionally claimed that Bravo & Co. “allowed, condoned and even inspired” Glanville’s “sexually aggressive and offensive conduct on others on the units” whereas “ply[ing] Glanville with copious quantities of alcohol in order that she would act outrageous.”
This hasn’t been the solely lawsuit leveled towards Bravo this 12 months. Former “Actual Housewives of New York” forged member Leah McSweeney is suing Cohen and Bravo for discrimination and retaliation as a result of, as she claims, she is “a lady with disabilities, akin to alcohol use dysfunction and varied psychological well being issues, all in the title of promoting drama,” The New York Instances reported. Final 12 months in a bombshell piece by Vainness Truthful, McSweeney alleged that producers would disguise liquor bottles on the set to sabotage her sobriety.
McSweeney has additionally accused Cohen of doing cocaine with different Housewives forged members. Cohen’s legal professional denied the allegations, saying the criticism was “plagued by false, offensive, and defamatory statements.”
In the profile, Cohen stated whereas he could not handle all the allegations, “What I’ll say about the alcohol is that we have now so many sober individuals and individuals who have gotten sober on the present. We’ve individuals who’ve by no means had a drink throughout the whole run of the present,” itemizing forged members like Luann de Lesseps, Jill Zarin and Kandi Burris.
“So certain, there are individuals who drink. There are many individuals who by no means drink. We don’t power anybody to do something. However nobody is secretly hiding liquor bottles on set. That’s ridiculous. We’ve been very supportive of individuals’s sobriety,” he clarified.
Moreover, exterior of the lawsuits, Bravo has been at the middle of union organizing efforts from ex-“Housewives” persona Bethenny Frankel. Since the twin Hollywood labor strikes final 12 months, Frankel has been pushing for actuality TV stars to convey forth their very own set of labor phrases together with truthful compensation. Frankel instructed Salon final July that she made simply $7,250 for the first season of “RHONY.”
Cohen, who was shut buddies with Frankel, stated that his take as an impartial producer is that actuality stars shouldn’t be handled like actors as a result of “Actuality stars sometimes produce other jobs. They’re bar homeowners, they’re designers. They’re medical doctors.”
“I feel the method that Bravo pays individuals is that it’s a buyout — they’re shopping for them out for a present that may be distributed in sure methods, and the longer you keep on, the larger your wage will get. And salaries for individuals who have been on a very long time are actually excessive,” he concluded.
When requested about the criticism from former buddies like Frankel, Cohen stated, “Clearly, it’s no enjoyable to be a goal. So, sure, it’s hurtful.”
Nevertheless, the long-time host has “no regrets about the method I’ve dealt with something. I feel every little thing that occurs in your life informs the subsequent factor that occurs in your life. That’s the method I have a look at all this.”
“I know what the truth is and I know how I’ve carried out myself, and I stroll tall on daily basis on that,” he stated.