Leah McSweeney said it’s time for a more diverse cast on “The Real Housewives Of New York.”
Speaking with Page Six on Saturday, the Married to the Mob founder, 37, argued that “RHONY” should be a part of the racial reckoning happening throughout the country as the reality show has never had a cast member of color after 12 seasons on air.
“I hope that there’s not only diversity of race, but an even deeper diversity of where someone lives or what their interests are,” she explained. “I hope that there’s just more diversity all across the board because New Yorkers are not a monolith, obviously. I think that it is gonna head in that direction.”
Leah went on to talk about filming the Bravo special, “Race in America: A Movement Not a Moment,” and how the experiences shared by other Housewives during it are ones she has heard before.
“I have a lot of Black friends, and I hear a lot of stories from them about racism and the s–t they have to deal with,” she told the outlet. “But it never stops being shocking and appalling to hear someone’s personal stories, you know?”
Leah said Garcelle Beauvais from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” told a story about clerks asking her to look at less expensive items in the store.
“I think it’s so hard for a lot of white people to understand and to even process it because it’s something we’re not used to dealing with,” she said. “I walk into a store, people think that I’m gonna shop my ass off because I’m white. They’re not thinking that I’m going to steal something or that I can’t afford something. That’s what my Black friends have to deal with.”
Leah told the outlet that she hopes the Bravo special will help viewers open their eyes to racial inequality.
“Everyone should be against racism, no matter what freaking color you are, no matter where you’re from. It’s truly a very evil idea, racism in general. So it should be, across the board, completely looked down upon and destroyed.”
“Race in America: A Movement Not a Moment” airs Sunday on Bravo at 10 p.m. ET.
