Caroline Manzo sues Bravo over sexual harassment by Brandi Glanville on 'Real Housewives'

Caroline Manzo is suing Bravo and the producers of "Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip" over an alleged incident involving sexual harassment by co-star Brandi Glanville.

The former "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court Friday alleging that "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" breakout Glanville sexually assaulted and harassed Manzo while filming an upcoming season of "Ultimate Girls Trip" in Morocco in January 2023, according to a legal filing obtained by USA TODAY.

Manzo accuses the show's producers of hiring Glanville as a cast member despite "overwhelming prior notice of Ms. Glanville's prior deviant sexual proclivities and sexually harassing conduct."

Besides Bravo, defendants named in the lawsuit include Warner Bros. Entertainment and NBCUniversal Media. USA TODAY has reached out to the companies' representatives for comment.

Brandi Glanville denies sexual assault accusations: 'Followed what the producers asked of her'

In a statement provided to USA TODAY Friday, a representative for Glanville said: "Sadly, Brandi had to wake up to yet another lawsuit that includes defamatory, false accusations about her. While filming, Brandi followed what the producers asked of her, and there was no sexual assault."

The statement continues, "She is innocent of these absurd accusations that have weighed on her mental and physical health for far too long without a word of support from Peacock, Shed (Media) or Bravo. This painful storytelling seems endless and needs to stop. She is looking to move on and upward and get her life back."

Manzo's attorney, Derek Smith, said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Friday: "We believe this case is about the networks selfishly sacrificing the wellbeing of their talent for ratings and profit. Brandi Glanville stated she was simply doing what the producers told her to do.

"Reality TV is leading to severe emotional and physical harm of its talent. This must stop. We are outraged by Bravo, Peacock and NBC's conduct and look forward to having the issues decided by a jury. Sexual harassment should never be entertainment!"

What else is alleged in Caroline Manzo's lawsuit against Bravo?

The lawsuit alleges that Glanville kissed Manzo multiple times without her consent, which made the former New Jersey Housewife “uncomfortable," as they were filming.

The "Manzo’d with Children" matriarch said that, after the initial kissing incident, Granville mounted Manzo on the couch and held her body down before forcibly kissing and humping her. The lawsuit states that Manzo was sexually assaulted as a 7 year old, and Glanville’s alleged sexual assault "made all of these dormant and horrific memories immediately resurface."

"Manzo again felt like she was seven years old and began to relive her previous sexual assaults in the context of this sexual assault. She was in a state of shock," the lawsuit states. "Defendants continued filming Plaintiff throughout even though she was in distress from the sexual assaults."

Manzo’s lawsuit says she talked with producers about the assaults shortly after the alleged incidents and also received “help” to ease her “emotional distress” from “Girls Trip” co-star Alex McCord, the psychologist who formerly starred on “New York” before leaving reality TV. Manzo said the network put filming over her safety.

"Despite the fact that Manzo was so emotionally distraught and despite the fact that Manzo asked not to be around Granville, Defendants still wanted Manzo to meet with Granville. Defendants were more focused on the continuation of the show rather than the health and well-being of Manzo after she was sexually abused," the lawsuit says. 

Who was in the cast of 'Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip?'

Manzo was an original cast member and breakout star on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," which she starred on for five seasons before landing a Bravo spinoff about her family, "Manzo'd with Children," which aired for three seasons. Glanville starred on four seasons of "Beverly Hills" before her firing by Bravo. Later, she guest starred during several seasons of the franchise but never made a full return to the show.

In addition to Glanville, Manzo and McCord, Peacock announced in January 2023 that former "Orange County" housewives Vicki Gunvalson and Gretchen Rossi, past "Atlanta" peach holders Eva Marcille and Phaedra Parks plus Glanville's frenemy Camille Grammer Meyer would also be part of the cast.

Each "Girls Trip" season features an ensemble cast of former and current Housewives, handpicked by Bravo executives, who travel to faraway destinations to engage in fights, drama and intimate conversations about their respective personal lives. The Morocco season has not yet aired.

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE & online.rainn.org).

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