The 'Real Housewives' most unforgettable moments. Neil Jamieson The Real Housewives have been on air for 20 years, and over those two decades, many memorable moments have cemented into pop-culture lexicon.
The Housewives have endured legal scandals, even more cheating scandals and plenty of dramatic scenes that played out on camera for viewers across the various franchises. With two decades under their belt, the Real Housewives has only gotten more popular in culture (and ratings), creating iconic moments fit for television legacy.
Bravo has marked the milestone by gathering an iconic cast for The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, which premieres Sunday on Bravo, bringing together Vicki Gunvalson, Luann de Lesseps, Teresa Giudice, Kyle Richards, Porsha Williams, Gizelle Bryant and Lisa Barlow. The women also marked the occasion with an in-depth sit-down for The Hollywood Reporter‘s cover story this week. (Read that here.)
The Real Housewives haven’t earned any Emmys (yet). But if the Television Academy gave away an award for trailblazing pop culture through unbelievable moments, this franchise would have the statuettes. So to celebrate 20 years of the Real Housewives, THR decided to rank the franchise’s most unforgettable moments, below.
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Honorable Mention: Leah McSweeney’s ‘RHONY’ Run, Which Led to Her Lawsuit Against Bravo
Image Credit: Heidi Gutman / ©Bravo / Courtesy Everett Collection Leah McSweeney may not have been a New York City Housewife for long, but her time on the show has made a profound impact on the Real Housewives franchise. After joining for season 12 of RHONY, Leah opened up about her struggles with alcohol; after being sober for nine years, she relapsed roughly six months prior to filming for the show beginning in 2019.
Leah drank on RHONY, which led to several rampant moments on the show, notably including her drunken skinny dipping spree with Sonja Morgan and Tinsley Mortimer (when she threw the tiki torches), and another instance during the season 12 episode entitled “Hurricane Leah,” where she got into an intense fight with Ramona Singer. The latter episode was later cited in her lawsuit, that was filed in Feb. 2024, against Andy Cohen, Bravo, NBC/Universal, production house Shed Media US, and producers John Paparazzo, Lisa Shannon and Darren Ward.
In her suit, Leah accused the producers of allegedly coaxing her into drinking alcohol while shooting two seasons of RHONY and one season of the Ultimate Girls Trip spinoff, while they knew of her past alcohol struggles. She also accused Andy of showcasing favoritism towards Housewives who partook in drug usage with him.
“[Andy Cohen] engaged in cocaine use with ‘Housewives’ and other Bravolebrities that he employs” and rewards ‘Housewives’ with whom he uses cocaine with more favorable treatment and edits,” the suit claimed. Andy denied the allegations, and the lawsuit is now proceeding in federal court.
