The 'Live' co-host defends her longtime pal after he was accused of doing cocaine with Bravo stars in a bombshell lawsuit filed by 'Real Housewives of New York' alum Leah McSweeney.
- Mar 29, 2024
AceShowbiz - Kelly Ripa has come to Andy Cohen's defense amid drug allegations against him. After Leah McSweeney accused the executive producer of "The Real Housewives" franchise of doing cocaine, the "Live" co-host said she's "so offended" by the accusation.
"I know him, like, off-camera. I know him privately. We've traveled together. We've gone on vacation together, like, pre-him having kids, you know?" the 53-year-old while sitting down with Kyle Richards in the Wednesday, March 27 episode of her "Let's Talk Off Camera" podcast. "I've never seen a drug around him. It's like the most... I'm so offended by it. I'm so angry over it."
Kyle, meanwhile, noted that she has "only seen him be professional" and has "certainly never seen drugs around - or any of this." "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star then added, "It made me angry and it made me really sad because I feel like that's the time that we're living in right now. It's very dangerous to make accusations like that. It's not like it used to be. Right? So it really made me sad."
In a lawsuit against Andy, Leah alleged that Andy uses cocaine with "Housewives" and influences editing and treatment based on who he uses the drug with. The former star of "The Real Housewives of New York City" also accused Bravo of exploiting her substance abuse and mental health challenges for ratings.
Andy's legal team has strongly denied the allegations, stating that they are "categorically false." They claimed that Andy never used cocaine with any "Housewives" cast members and that McSweeney's claims lack factual basis. They have threatened legal action if Leah does not retract her statements.
Leah's attorney maintained that the allegations are true and intends to pursue the case in court. She claimed that Andy's legal team was attempting to intimidate her and prevent her from engaging in legally protected activities.
