Brandi Glanville's legal team demands the dismissal of Andy Cohen amid her allegations of sexual harassment against him
Lawyers representing the former "Real Housewives" star vehemently criticized Cohen's insincere apology, asserting that any other supervisor at Comcast/NBC exhibiting similar behavior would face immediate termination."
Brandi Glanville, the former star of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, along with her legal representatives Bryan Freedman and Mark Geragos, is demanding the removal of Bravo's Andy Cohen from his position.
In response to allegations of sexual harassment against Cohen in 2022, Freedman and Geragos issued a statement on Friday condemning Cohen, who serves as executive producer of Real Housewives, and questioning his continued employment with the NBC-owned network.
The attorneys stated, "Any supervisor who, while clearly intoxicated, encourages their subordinate via FaceTime to witness sexual activity between colleagues, is unequivocally engaging in sexual harassment. This behavior warrants immediate termination, according to any reasonable standard, including those upheld by NBC."
NBCUniversal opted not to provide a comment on the matter when approached by EW. Requests for comment from Cohen's representatives were also made but remained unanswered.
Freedman and Geragos issued their statement a day following their communication with NBCUniversal, Warner Bros., and Shed Media, alleging that Cohen, aged 55, had sent Glanville, aged 51, an inappropriate video two years prior. According to PEOPLE, the letter detailed, "In a video sent by Mr. Cohen to Ms. Glanville in 2022, Mr. Cohen — visibly intoxicated — bragged about his intention to spend the night with another Bravo star while thinking of her and encouraged her to watch via Facetime."
Shortly thereafter, Cohen posted an apology on social media, acknowledging, "The video depicts Kate Chastain and me clearly jesting with Brandi. It was intended purely in humor, and Brandi's response indicated she was in on the joke. Nevertheless, it was entirely inappropriate, and I express my regret."
Chastain's representatives, known for her appearances on Bravo's Below Deck, did not immediately respond to EW's inquiry for comment.
In their Friday statement, Glanville's legal team criticized Cohen's apology as insincere, labeling it a "false apology." They continued, stating, "Labeling this as a joke is unacceptable. NBC has bestowed Andy with excessive authority throughout their network. He hosts reunions across various franchise cities, produces and stars in his own show to endorse these ventures, leads a significant conference monetizing the 'bravosphere' at the expense of women, and is the head of this reality television enterprise. NBC has evidently deemed him untouchable."
Freedman and Geragos proceeded to draw parallels between the incident and another controversy within the company, a subsidiary of Brian Roberts' Comcast. They asserted, "NBC appears to have not gleaned any lessons from the cover-up at NBC NEWS." They accused NBC of perpetuating a pattern of protection for those in positions of authority, likening Andy Cohen's involvement to that of Matt Lauer in the cover-up. They called upon Brian Roberts to intervene, reminiscent of his actions with Andy Lack and Jeff Shell, urging him to halt the cover-up and uphold integrity. They emphasized the importance of Roberts' legacy and moral responsibility in taking action.
EW has contacted a spokesperson from Comcast for their response.
Glanville's tenure with the Real Housewives franchise, spanning appearances on RHOBH and The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, has been marked by controversy. Recently, former Real Housewives of New Jersey star Caroline Manzo filed a lawsuit against Bravo and its affiliated entities regarding an alleged incident of sexual misconduct involving Glanville on Ultimate Girls Trip. Glanville, though not named as a defendant in the suit, has denied any wrongdoing.
_updates.webp)
0 Comments