The Biggest Scandals That Completely Rocked Bravo

The following article includes mentions of addiction and allegations of sexual assault.

Bravo TV and its over-the-top reality shows have been part of the cultural zeitgeist for many years, largely thanks to the big dose of drama these programs have delivered. Arrests, affairs, and altercations have all been par for the course, and that's when the camera's weren't even rolling. In fact, some of the biggest scandals that completely rocked Bravo occurred off screen, setting off a firestorm of media attention that drove ratings on shows like "Vanderpump Rules," "Below Deck Down Under," and "The Real Housewives" franchise through the roof.

Bravo and reality television may have become synonymous over the years, but the channel didn't start off that way. The untold truth of Bravo TV is that it was originally developed in 1980 as a station where viewers could watch performing arts free from commercial interruptions. All that changed in 2002 when NBC bought Bravo and aired "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." The show met with huge success and Bravo became NBC's new "Must See TV."  As the shows grew in popularity, the cast members became household names with people gathering around the water coolers to discuss the latest sexcapades and scandals of the stars on their favorite reality shows. "The divide between real celebrities and Bravo celebrities has gotten thinner,"  New Yorker staff writer Naomi Fry told SSense, observing that Bravo's place in the pop culture landscape "has never been more prominent." It seems that, love it or hate it, reality television in all its dramatic glory is here to stay.

What could be worse than finding out your boyfriend of nearly 10 years was cheating? How about finding out that the other woman was one of your best friends? That's what happened to "Vanderpump Rules" star Ariana Madix when it was revealed that her longtime love, costar Tom Sandoval, had an affair with another costar, Rachel Leviss. To add to Madix's humiliation, the whole thing played out in the public eye. and caused the couple to ultimately call it quits. "They had been having problems for awhile, but this was the final straw for Ariana," an inside source told People. Tom Sandoval denied cheating with Rachel Leviss at least five times before Madix discovered proof of their relationship on his phone. "I found a screen recording of them on FaceTime," Madix said of Sandoval and Leviss during the Season 10 finale of "VPR" (via People).

The affair that launched the term "Scandoval" propelled "Vanderpump Rules" back into the spotlight at a time when its viewership was dwindling, leading some cast members, including Leviss — who is no longer seeing Sandoval — to wonder if that was the point. "The thought has crossed my mind, like, 'Did Tom mastermind this?'" Leviss mused on a 2024 episode of her "Rogue Energy" podcast. "I think he had his motivation behind it that really escalated the situation." As for the man in the middle, Tom Sandoval announced his sobriety journey shortly after "Scandoval" was revealed. The ripple effect of the scandal caused "VPR" to relaunch with an entirely new cast after 12 years.

It was a rude awakening for "Real Housewives of New Jersey" cast member Teresa Giudice when she went from living in her big house to serving time in the big house for tax fraud. For almost a year, Giudice traded in her luxurious, six-bedroom mansion in Montville, New Jersey for a cell in Connecticut's Danbury Federal Correctional Institution. So, how does one go from reality star to convicted felon? The truth about Teresa Giudice's troubles with the law is that they began in 2014 when she and her husband, Joe Giudice, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, along with three types of bankruptcy fraud. Giudice told ABC News that she had no idea she was breaking the law and equated prison to "living in hell." She explained, "I mean there was mold in the bathrooms. There was not running water constantly. The showers were freezing cold ... I mean, the living conditions were really horrible. There were some nights that we didn't even have heat." 

After serving her sentence in 2015, the mom of four divorced her husband, returned to the "Real Housewives of New Jersey," and penned her memoir "Turning the Tables," which became a best seller. Even so, after all her legal troubles, Teresa Giudice's net worth is less than you think. According to documents obtained by Page Six, the reality star and her new husband, Luis "Louie" Ruelas, are in debt to the tune of nearly $3 million in tax liens.

Who is Gary King of "Below Deck Sailing Yacht?" According to former crew members Samantha Suarez and her boyfriend Grey Duddleston, King's anything but above board. The couple filed charges against King, accusing him of sexual battery and assault, among other things, after Suarez claimed that an intoxicated King held her against her will in his hotel room. She alleged that King "grabbed her, held her restrained by her upper body and arms, and pressed his entire body against her" (via People). She was reportedly not the only one subjected to King's unwanted advances. Duddleston claimed to have witnessed "disturbing, sexually aggressive behavior" from King toward other cast members. After the duo made their concerns known to the powers that be, it was not smooth sailing. They learned they would not be back on the show and claimed they had been placed on a "do not hire" list. 

King, however, kept his head above water and remained on the show, which shocked another anonymous crew member, who called the situation "insane" during an interview with Rolling Stone. "There were multiple incidents of sexual harassment in front of multiple producers after this person had been given verbal warnings multiple times," one of the accusers alleged. King denied the charges filed by Suarez in a since-deleted Instagram comment: "It's so weird, it's also so far from the truth. She always wanted a platform and unfortunately I'm the unlucky target" (per US Weekly).

Brooks Ayers dropped a bomb on "Real Housewives of Orange Country" when he claimed to have stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. His illness became a storyline on the show, but many of the housewives questioned whether it was real. In an effort to defend himself, Ayers made a malignant mistake when he produced what turned out to be fake documents that claimed he had been a patient at the City of Hope cancer hospital. 

"Words cannot express the deep regret that I have in fabricating documents to 'prove' to the world that I, in fact, have cancer," Ayers told E! News. "My sincerest apologies to my family, friends, loved ones, and those who are battling this horrid disease for any additional pain and/or stress that I have caused." Ayers' confession didn't come as a huge surprise to many of the "RHOC" cast. "I can't say I am shocked," Tamra Judge told E! News. "I've always said, 'If he has cancer, I hope he gets better and if he doesn't ... I still hope he gets better.'"

In 2021, bombshell Madison LeCroy was once accused of using her Southern charms on a certain former New York Yankee, but LeCroy shared the details on her relationship with Alex Rodriguez – Jennifer Lopez's then-fiancé – and claimed they had never been more than friends. During a "Southern Charm" reunion show, host Andy Cohen alluded to an affair between LeCroy and a "very famous ... ex-MLB player" (per Page Six). LeCroy denied the allegation and told Page Six that she and A-Rod, who was in his J-Lo era at the time, had never met in person, but she did cop to having enjoyed a relationship over the phone. "He's never physically cheated on his fiancée with me," LeCroy said, adding that she's "talked to him randomly, but not consistent."

Regardless of whether they did or didn't, J-Lo seemed to think where there's smoke there's fire, and the couple called off their engagement. "The Madison LeCroy scandal was the reason they finally broke up," an insider told Page Six. "There were already problems, but Jennifer was really embarrassed by it." J-Lo moved on and Madison LeCroy took credit for the singer's new romance with Ben Affleck when she joked to Us Weekly, "I say, you're welcome." LeCroy went on to add, "I mean, I will be honest with you. I had nothing to do with why they split, and I think everybody knows that." Truthfully, only she and A-Rod know for sure.

When it comes to dramatic moments on Bravo, you can always count on the housewives to deliver the goods. Take Luann de Lesseps of "Real Housewives of New York," who was famously arrested and thrown in the slammer for disorderly intoxication, among other things, after allegedly attacking a police officer in 2017. The incident occurred in Palm Beach, the site of her wedding to ex-husband Tom D'Agostino. Their marriage lasted less than a year, and the reality star blamed bad memories for her bad behavior. "This was my first time in Palm Beach since my wedding, and being here brought up long-buried emotions," de Lesseps said in a statement to People. "I want to offer my sincere apologies to anyone I might have offended with my behavior."

The arrest was a wake up call for de Lesseps, who checked into a treatment facility soon after, but it would take two more trips to rehab before she was able to put the bottle down once and for all. According to de Lesseps, her sobriety journey affected her relationships. "I just have to avoid certain people," she told People. "I lost a lot of drinking buddies." In their place, however, she found the people that mattered. "My daughter is one of my biggest supporters," she told People. "I have a lot of friends and my family. It's been an incredible journey."

No press is bad press — or is it? "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah found out when she followed in the well-heeled footsteps of "RHONJ" Teresa Giudice by getting arrested on charges of conspiracies to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Fans watched the drama play out as Jen Shah's trail was pushed back repeatedly before she was finally sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison in 2023, with an additional five years of supervised release. She was also slapped with a multi-million dollar fine and required to give up millions in luxury goods she had acquired. "With today's sentence, Jennifer Shah finally faces the consequences of the many years she spent targeting vulnerable, elderly victims. These individuals were lured in by false promises of financial security, but in reality, Shah and her co-conspirators defrauded them out of their savings and left them with nothing to show for it," said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams in a statement, per NPR.

Shah, a mother of two, has always been one of the more volatile housewives, often throwing fits (and drinks). She and her husband, Sharrieff Shah, a special teams coordinator for the University of Utah's football team, lived a lavish life and employed many personal assistants, including Stuart Smith, who was also arrested in the scheme. Priya Chaudhry, Shah's attorney, said that the reality star "deeply regrets the mistakes that she has made and is profoundly sorry to the people she has hurt" (via NPR).

If we learned anything from "The Jerry Springer Show," it's that viewers love a good paternity scandal. So, when "Below Deck Sailing Yacht" star Dani Soares' pregnancy caused a stir, you can bet viewers tuned in to hear the answer to "who's your daddy?" Soares and deckhand Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux made waves in 2021 when their causal flirtation turned into a full blown love affair. The lovebirds called it off when the season ended, but Soares was left with a souvenir from their journey together: a baby bump that she revealed on Instagram with the caption, "It's just you and I little baby."  

Although she didn't reveal the father's name, fans suspected that Cerza-Lanaux was the most likely candidate for baby daddy, but Soares wouldn't confirm. "I just don't think that's relevant for my situation, that's all," the Bravo personality told Us. She later revealed that she knew Cerza-Lanaux was the father but he was unsupportive and requested a paternity test, which revealed that what Soares said was true. The deckhand took to Instagram to share the news, writing, "I'm happy and proud to say sweet and beautiful Lilly Rose is my daughter. Dani and I have been working and communicating together to the best of our ability." Despite his words, it appears that, to date, Cerza-Lanaux did not remain a part of his daughter's life.

It was a case of Southern discomfort when "Southern Charm" star Thomas Ravenel was accused of rape by "Nanny Dawn." According to Dawn, Ravenel came home intoxicated and tried to kiss her. "I told him, 'This isn't appropriate. I work for you.' He then hugged me as an alternative," she told People. "I had baby bottles in my hands, so I couldn't hug him. It felt like he was putting his weight on me." When Dawn went upstairs to get her coat, Ravenel allegedly followed her and sexually assaulted her. "I was corralled into the master bedroom and he shut the door behind me," she told People. "I turned around and he had his pants dropped, not wearing underwear. He was blocking the door. I was mortified, embarrassed, and scared."

This was not the first time the reality star has been accused of assaulting a woman. He purportedly slammed a door on hairdresser Lauren Moser in 2014, causing her to tumble down a short flight of stairs. Then there was Debbie Holloway Perkins, a woman who claimed she met Ravenel on Tinder in 2015 and that he made unwelcome sexual advances. She and her daughter Ashley participated in mediation where Debbie signed a non-disclosure agreement with Ravenel and received $200,000. In the case of Nanny Dawn, Ravenel once again reached for his wallet and agreed to a settlement of $125,000 that went toward her legal fees and a nonprofit dedicated to survivors of sexual assault. He also issued an apology for making an "unwelcome advance," per People, yet never admitted to rape. 

Fans of the show "Flipping Out" know that host Jeff Lewis is as famous for firing people as he is for flipping houses. Over the course of the show's more than decade-long run, Lewis dropped the axe on several employees, but one head that no one expected to see on the chopping block was his longtime friend, former assistant, and executive producer, Jenni Pulos. "I had no idea it was coming," the mother-of-two told People. The heated exchange that resulted in Pulos' termination in 2018 played out over a lunch with cameras rolling. On his radio show "Jeff Lewis Live," the designer explained the decision that terminated not just a job but a friendship. "She said she had given up her acting career to work for me," Lewis said. "That really hurt my feelings because I felt like I have done nothing but accommodate her for her auditions and meetings and whatnot." 

Lewis claimed that Pulos filed charges against him for wrongful termination, abuse, and victimization, but Pulos denied such claims. She has also disputed his claim that they faked a friendship for the sake of the show. "It was very real," she told People. "I was his employee and I worked for him. It was very authentic, and that's important." A source close to the couple told People, "It's sad. They used to be inseparable, but their differences just got too big to overcome." The source added, "They'll never come back from this. It's over."

As any real fan of "Real Housewives" knows, the show wouldn't exist without Andy Cohen. Cohen, who hosts the Bravo talk show "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," is the producer of that station's hottest franchise, and he's made superstars out of reality TV divas. Then the tables turned, and Cohen found himself embroiled in what became known as the "Reality Reckoning" that was orchestrated by the very women he had helped make famous. Allegations of sexism, alcohol abuse, drug use, and racism were hurled at Cohen, who told Hollywood Reporter, "Obviously, it's no fun to be a target. So, yes, it's hurtful." 

"Real Housewives" who have publicly slammed Andy Cohen include NeNe Leakes, Bethenny Frankel, Caroline Manzo, Brandi Glanville, and Leah McSweeney. "There was a lot of noise," Cohen told Vulture. "I was definitely sad about it." However, the outspoken and irreverent father-of-two maintains that he did nothing wrong. "I know what the truth is and I know how I've conducted myself, and I walk tall every day on that," he told Hollywood Reporter.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues or may be a victim of sexual assault, contact the relevant resources below:

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

• Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).