Lara Sophia 
The Real Housewives are rallying around their boss Andy Cohen as the WWHL hires a crisis PR team amid lawsuit and drug allegations.
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for Andy Cohen. He got called out for various indiscretion by two former Real Housewives. First the Watch What Happens Live was accused of sexual harassment by Brandi Glanville. The former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star claimed Andy Cohen sent her an inappropriate FaceTime for which the father of two apologized.
Then Leah McSweeney accused Andy Cohen of “snorting cocaine” with Real Housewives in a lawsuit against him and Bravo.
Andy Cohen’s rep denied the Real Housewives of New York alum’s claims in a statement, saying, “The claims against Andy are completely false.”
Now, sources close to the Bravo head honcho reveal that he has hired a crisis PR team to help time deal with ongoing allegations. The source notes that this move is a “red flag” as it proves the accusations against him are quite serious.
Yet another member of Andy’s inside circle downplayed the seriousness of him hiring crisis PR team, claiming that the WWHL host is merely getting advice from various people who know how to handle these situations.
“He does not have a formal agreement,” the source explained to Page Six. “He has not paid a penny.”
Regardless, Andy seems to be winning in the court of public opinion as numerous Real Housewives have come out to support Andy alongside Bravo fans.
“Everyone is rallying around him” the source explained. “They’re keeping the positivity.”
“He’s like an older brother. I’ve always felt comfortable calling him if I was upset about something — anything,” Heather Dubrow of The Real Housewives of Orange County told Page Six.
When it comes to the coke rumors, she said: “I’ve been on ‘Watch What Happens Live’ a million times. I have never seen drugs, heard about drugs, nothing ever …Yeah, we have a cocktail on [‘WWHL’]. It’s fun … It’s sad it’s being brought down to this level.”
Ashley Darby of The Real Housewives of Potomac told Page Six that “these allegations, they don’t seem to have weight to me.”
She did acknowledge that “Inevitably, especially some of the ladies who he’s known for longer, like some of the ‘Orange County’ gals like Vicki [Gunvalson] … I can see him having a different rapport, right?”
Real Housewives of Miami star Julia Lemigova, surprised by Leah McSweeney’s allegations, noting that the Housewives are given lots of support while filming Housewives.
“[Bravo and Cohen] have been nothing but great to me and I consider myself lucky to be now part of this family. And if there is a question, we always have resources,” the Russia native said. “We even have psychologists on our team if we need to speak to somebody … To me, you don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
She also adds that the Housewives are “grown-ass women” who can drink or not drink as they decide.
“Nobody has ever pushed me to drink. Sometimes I put tequila in my drink, sometimes I put water,” she states. “We can make our own choices.”
Ashley Darby agrees, noting that when she has abstained from drinking, production — “has always been very considerate,” of her deciding when she wants to drink booze and when she wants to abstain.
“No one ever tries to force me or coerce me into doing anything. That’s something I really appreciate and one of the reasons that I feel so comfortable sharing my life,” she says. “I feel like they do respect my boundaries and what I believe in. It really is on my terms.”
“I have not experienced [producers forcing talent to drink] at all. It’s always been up to me, so that’s not something I’ve seen or witnessed,” Wendy Osefo said in agreement.
“To some element, I would even consider him an ally. Our franchise has been one that has not shied away from topics or discussions that are difficult to have in society — whether that’s colorism in the past, or currently this season we’re dealing with xenophobia,” the political commentator adds.
“He is very clear in his position as a white man and how our experiences are different than his. But it doesn’t make him ignorant of it. He’s always been so open to learn more and I appreciate that about him,” Wendy says of Andy’s character.
“When I heard about the lawsuit, I was like, ‘This is completely contrary to who I know him to be.’ Because the ‘Housewives’ community is rather intimate. And he has been a great resource, a great sounding board for things beyond the Bravo world and the Bravo universe,” she notes.
Other Housewives who have publicly supported Andy Cohen include Kyle Richards, Erin Lichy, Crystal Minkoff, Marysol Patton, Alexia Ecchevarria.
However, Brandi Glanville is giving public support to Leah McSweeney, saying she’s “elated” over the RHONY alum’s lawsuit and says she supports her “100%.”
“Leah is a very strong woman who went through hell and knows how important it is to get the truth out,” Brandi told Page Six. “She clearly suffered and deserves support from others like myself that have experienced similar abusive situations.”
“This has been a long time coming. Hopefully others living in fear will have the strength to go up against these giants.”
Another former Housewife who is onboard with taking down Bravo and Andy Cohen is Bethenny Frankel.
Since last year, Bethenny Frankel has been rallying for a reality reckoning against Bravo, Andy, and alleged mistreatment of talent.
She alleged that Housewives is a “vicious cycle … of lives being ruined and the promise of redemption by producers if they go back one more time to clear their name.”
She added: “It’s also well known and documented that several housewives have experienced mental and emotional illness and have begun or increased their use of anti anxiety and drug medication to cope with this environment.”
Meanwhile, Bravo insiders say the network is working to shut down what they allege to be a false narrative about the working environment within the network.
“We handle our stars with kid gloves, with a sensitivity and a thoughtfulness, [and] we do become invested,” one network insider told Page Six. “We protect them because they are being vulnerable and opening up their lives to the public.”
“We’re very confident that the truth will prevail and everyone will see that these are not real accusations.”
As for the recent allegations made against the network, a NBCU spokesperson said: “We are conducting an investigation,” while a Bravo spokesperson added: “For the last several years we have been working with our third party production companies to enhance our protocols including stricter guidelines on alcohol consumption, direction on when to intervene to maintain the safety of cast and crew, increased psychological support, enhanced workplace trainings, more serious consequences for physical violence on set, and a requirement to provide cast and crew with a direct line to NBCUniversal to raise concerns.”
“A number of claims that were made by Leah McSweeney were previously investigated and unsubstantiated,” a Bravo insider notes.
The insider adds that the success of the Housewives is the network’s best defense against the allegations.
“This brand could not last this long if it was truly toxic. People love it.”
The Real Housewives brand debuted on Bravo in March 2006 with the Real Housewives of Orange County. Andy Cohen previously told Forbes, “We didn’t even know what we were doing … We just believed in the women and we believed that we could create a reality soap opera.”
Amid the growing success of Real Housewives and the Bravo network as a whole, Watch What Happens Live launched in July 2009. Since then Andy’s gone on to have two channels on SiriusXM radio. He’s also authored a string of best-selling books.
A Bravo insider told Page Six that, “Andy hasn’t been an exec at Bravo since 2013. As one of many producers of the ‘Housewives’ shows, he weighs in on show casting, returning series and other production decisions … Andy does not have final say or more influence than other producers associated with the ‘Housewives’ shows or than the leadership team at the network.”
However, Bethenny Frankel said Andy’s role on Bravo should not be minimized, claiming he plays a much bigger role within the network than people understand.
“Andy Cohen and Bravo keep trying to diminish his role when convenient for them, but the fact remains that he has every cast member on speed dial, watches casting tapes, decides who comes and goes, is instrumental in the editing process and hosts and owns the marquis show that determines what Bravo talent looks good or is trashed in the headlines every single day,” she told Page Six.
Andy Cohen is currently the executive producer for several Real Housewives franchise including New York, Beverly Hills, New Jersey, Potomac, Salt Lake City, Dallas, and Miami.
