Born in New York City in 1982, Leah McSweeney is a businesswoman and television personality. She is best known as the founder and CEO of the female fashion line ‘Married to the Mob’. McSweeney has also appeared on several television series. She has recently hit the headlines as it is rumored that she is replacing entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel as a cast member on ‘The Real Housewives of New York’., but it is unknown if she will become a main cast member or a featured friend. Although she is well known in fashion circles and she is increasing her profile on television, there are many things that people do not know about her. Here are 10 interesting facts that you probably didn’t know about Leah McSweeney.
1. She Was Expelled from School
As she is so successful now, it may surprise you to learn that Leah McSweeney was a bit of a rebel when she was younger and she even got expelled from school. She was aged 13 at that time and she had been attending Convent of the Sacred Heart in Upper East Side, Manhattan. Following her expulsion, she moved to another school after moving to Connecticut with her family. She then returned to New York to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Despite her troubles as a teen at school, it has not stopped Leah McSweeney from following her dreams and becoming a successful, independent woman.
2. An Altercation with the Police Helped Her Launch Her Fashion Line
It was a surprising event in Leah Sweeney’s life that helped her to launch her fashion line. After being involved in a physical altercation with the New York Police Department, she suffered injuries. For this, she was awarded a settlement o $75,000. She decided to use this money as an investment to launch Married to the Mob in 2004. She wanted her fashion line to give women edginess and a voice, while also looking elegant and having the finesse of a lady. This is something that she has managed to achieve and her fashion line now appeals to a diverse group of women.
3. She Has Collaborated with Many Famous Fashion Brands
Since launching her fashion line, Leah McSweeney has collaborated with many large fashion brands, says MSN Entertainment. These have included collaborations with Kangol, MCM, Colette, Nike, Fafi, and Krink. The fashion line has also had collections that feature female rappers as models, including Lil Debbie, Kid Sister, and Chanel West Coast. These collaborations have helped her to grow her successful business, and she now distributes her collections to more than over 100 retailers.
4. She Has a Podcast
Another of McSweeney’s ventures is a podcast called ‘Improper Etiquette’. She co-hosts this with Laura Stylez of Hot 97. The podcast features their perspectives on lifestyle and current issues. There are also occasionally celebrity interviews featured on this podcast.
5. McSweeney Has Appeared on Several Reality Television Shows
If Leah McSweeney does become a cast member of ‘The Real Housewives of New York’, this is not the first time she will have appeared on television. She has already appeared on ‘Millionaire Matchmaker’ as a client and she made a cameo appearance on ‘Love & Hip Hop: New York’. She was also a recurring star on the radio show ‘Lip Service’.
6. She Writes for Several Publications
Another string to Leah McSweeney’s bow is that she works as a columnist. She writes a regular advice column for Penthouse magazine and she is also a frequent contributor to Hypebeast, which is an online publication. For the latter, she offers commentary about motherhood, streetwear style, and wellness. Other publications in which she has featured include Vogue, Inked, Nylon, Complex, Essence, Elle, and Paper.
7. She Has a Daughter
Leah McSweeney juggles running a business, hosting a podcast, writing columns, and appearing on television with being a mother. She has a daughter called Kiki who is seen on her social media post. McSweeney does not talk about Kiki’s father or any other aspects of her love life, so her relationship status is not known. However, more about her personal life may come to light if the rumors about her being a potential cast member of ‘The Real Housewives of New York’ are true as viewers could see aspects of both her personal and her business lives.
8. She is an Advocate for Mental Health Awareness
McSweeney suffers from Bipolar II Disorder, and this is something that she has talked about openly on her podcast. She has shared her journey and experiences of this condition with her fans. Due to her mental health condition, raising awareness of mental health is important to McSweeney and close to her heart. This has led to her being an advocate for mental health awareness. As this is an issue that impacts on the lives of so many people, she believes that increasing awareness is vital.
9. She is Friends with Tinsley Mortimer
Cheatsheet says that Leah McSweeney is a close friend o Tinsley Mortimer who has been a cast member of ‘The Real Housewives of New York since 2017. Mortimer is an American socialite who not only appears on the reality television series but also contributes regularly to Town & Country magazine.
10. She is An Active Social Media User
Leah McSweeney is an active social media with both business and personal accounts on Instagram. On her personal Instagram account, she has 32.3 thousand mothers. She promotes her business using this account and she describes herself as Kiki’s mom in her profile information. Many of the photographs she posts feature her daughter. Her business account has 35.4 thousand followers, which shows the popularity of her fashion line. She uses this page to post photographs of the clothing in her fashion lines.Bethenny Frankel
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