SDNY COURTHOUSE, Aug 21 – Arguing that she was pressured into drinking alcohol while on the "Real Housewives of New York" show, Leah McSweeney has sued NBC, Bravo, Andy Cohen and others. The defendant argue that they are protected by the First Amendment.
On August 13, this was argued before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Lewis J. Liman, who mentioned a possible conflict of interest while calling the free speech / anti-SLAPP defense "interesting." Inner City Press was there. From the thread:
Bravo / Cohen lawyer Levin: This implicates the First Amendment. It could chill free speech. There are anti-SLAPP laws Judge: Doesn't part of this have to do with alcohol and drinking? Could a producer require an actor to drink alcohol?
Defense lawyer: That's not what happened here. But the First Amendment would protect the employer in that case from a lawsuit, for authenticity
Judge: I have relatives in the movie business
On August 21 McSweeney opposed the motion to dismiss, arguing that the First Amendment is not a defense to discrimination or retaliation, and that her religious discriminatino claims must not be dismissed.
More on X for Subscribers here & Substack here
The case is McSweeney v. Cohen, et al., 24-cv-1503 (Liman)
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