Leah Christine McSweeney (born August 27, 1982)McSweeney in is an American fashion designer and television personality. She founded the women's streetwear line

Married to the Mob ''Married to the Mob'' is a 1988 American crime comedy film directed by Jonathan Demme, and starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Modine, Dean Stockwell, Mercedes Ruehl, and Alec Baldwin. Pfeiffer plays Angela de Marco, a gangster's widow from B ...

in 2004, and has starred on the reality television series ''

The Real Housewives of New York City ''The Real Housewives of New York City'' (abbreviated ''RHONY'') is an American reality television series that premiered on Bravo on March 4, 2008. Developed as the second installment of ''The Real Housewives'' franchise, it has aired thirteen ...

'' from 2020 to 2021.

Early life

McSweeney was born in Manhattan to Bryan & Bernadette "Bunny" McSweeney and raised in an Irish-Italian family. She attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart Catholic all-girls school on the

Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 96th Street to the north, the East River to the east, 59th Street to the south, and Central Park/Fifth Avenue to the wes ...

. After being expelled at 14, her family moved to Newtown,

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

. In 2002, McSweeney suffered several injuries in a physical altercation with the New York Police Department. She, along with streetwear designer Rob Cristofaro, used her $75,000 settlement to create Married to the Mob, a line of feminine streetwear.

Career

Married to the Mob

Married to the Mob (MTTM) has made several collaborations since its initiation. Amongst its first major collaborations featured a

Kangol Kangol is a British clothing company famous for its headwear. The name Kangol reflects the original materials for production, the K coming from the word 'silK' (a recent attribution to 'Knitting' is incorrect), the ANG from 'ANGora', and the ...

cashmere '

beanie Beanie may refer to: Headgear * Beanie (seamed cap), in parts of North America, a cap made from cloth often joined by a button at the crown and seamed together around the sides * Beanie, a knit cap, in Britain, Australia, South Africa and parts of ...

' cap and a

Kaws Brian Donnelly (born November 4, 1974), known professionally as Kaws (stylized as KAWS), is an American artist and designer. His work includes repeated use of a cast of figurative characters and motifs, some dating back to the beginning of his c ...

two-piece graphic swimsuit. Later, MTTM would collaborate with German accessory brand MCM, and French boutique

Colette Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...

for a limited-edition

Reebok Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...

lip-print sneaker. MTTM would later create another limited-edition sneaker with

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

. MTTM have also collaborated with French graffiti artist Fafi, Krink, and Jessy "Nite Rider" Kennedy. MTTM has also released collections with models including

Chanel West Coast Chelsea Chanel Dudley (born September 1, 1988), better known by her stage name Chanel West Coast, is an American television personality, rapper, and singer. She came to prominence for her roles in MTV's ''Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory'' and '' ...

Kid Sister Melissa Young (born July 3, 1980), known professionally as Kid Sister, is an American rapper based in Chicago, Illinois. She is known for her single " Pro Nails", which features Kanye West, and for her work as a member of the British music colle ...

Lil Debbie Jordan Mary Capozzi (born February 2, 1990), better known by her stage name Lil Debbie, is an American rapper, model and fashion designer. Debbie started her career in 2011 as part of the now-defunct group The White Girl Mob, with rappers Kreaysh ...

, and the Clermont twins.

Reality television

In 2010, McSweeney appeared as a client on an episode on

Bravo Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels *Bravo (band), a Russian rock band * Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984 *Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing company ...

's ''

The Millionaire Matchmaker ''The Millionaire Matchmaker'' was an American reality television series on Bravo that premiered on January 22, 2008, and is hosted by Patti Stanger. ''The Millionaire Matchmaker'' follows Patti Stanger, owner of the Beverly Hills-based "Millio ...

.'' Her appearance on ''Matchmaker'' was well received by critics, and has led to appearances and cameos on other television programs, including VH1's '' Love & Hip Hop: New York.'' McSweeney was confirmed to have joined ''

'' during an appearance at

's "BravoCon" fan convention in November 2019. McSweeney was referred to production by former cast member

Bethenny Frankel Bethenny Frankel (born November 4, 1970) is an American businesswoman, television personality, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author. She starred in the Bravo television series ''The Real Housewives of New York City'', having appeared in eigh ...

, who left the series after the previous season. McSweeney officially signed on for her second season as a full-time cast member of ''

''. McSweeney held off on renewing her contract until she was offered a higher salary, being paid only $3,000 an episode during her season 12 stint. In March 2023, McSweeney starred in the third season of ''

The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip ''The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip'' (acronym ''RHUGT'') is an American reality television series that premiered on Peacock on November 16, 2021. The series follows several women from ''The Real Housewives'' franchise as they vacation toge ...

'' on

Peacock Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are r ...

Other projects

In 2015, McSweeney became a featured recurring star on

Shade 45 Shade 45 is American rapper Eminem's hip-hop station on Sirius XM Radio channel 45 and Dish Network channel 6045. History Eminem established his own channel, Shade 45, that plays uncut hip hop. Eminem also established a new morning show, ''Sway ...

's ''Lip Service'' with

Angela Yee Angela Yee (born January 3, 1976) is an American radio personality. She hosted the nationally syndicated morning show ''The Breakfast Club'' along with DJ Envy and Charlamagne tha God. She is on the Board of Governors of the We Are Family Fou ...

Power 105.1 WWPR-FM (105.1 FM) is an urban contemporary music radio station licensed to New York City. WWPR-FM is owned by iHeartMedia and broadcasts from studios in the former AT&T Building in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan; its transmitter is l ...

. The following year, she began ''Improper Etiquette'' with Laura Stylez of

Hot 97 WQHT (97.1 FM, ''Hot 97'') is a commercial radio station, licensed to New York, New York, which broadcasts an urban contemporary music format. The station is owned by Mediaco Holding and operated by Emmis Communications under a shared ser ...

. On the podcast, McSweeney and Stylez provide candid perspectives and advice on lifestyle and current issues with occasional celebrity interviews. McSweeney has been a frequent contributor to the online publication Hypebeast, where she offers commentary on wellness, streetwear style, and motherhood. She also writes an advice column for ''

Penthouse Penthouse most often refers to: *Penthouse apartment, a special apartment on the top floor of a building *Penthouse (magazine), ''Penthouse'' (magazine), a British-founded men's magazine *Mechanical penthouse, a floor, typically located directly u ...

'' magazine. On June 27, 2018, McSweeney wrote a controversial article for ''

'' titled ''Can We Talk About Toxic Femininity?'' where she criticized

Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy '' Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generat ...

and

Asia Argento Asia Argento (; born Aria Maria Vittoria Rossa Argento; 20 September 1975) is an Italian actress and filmmaker. The daughter of filmmaker Dario Argento, she has had roles in several of her father's features and achieved mainstream success with ...

and accused them of using the #MeToo movement for personal gain. McSweeney received wide backlash and praise alike for her op-ed piece. On December 10, 2018 McSweeney co-wrote an investigative article about Anti Semitism and corruption within the Women's March organization for Tablet Magazine titled "Is The Women's March Melting Down?" In March 2023, McSweeney launched a podcast on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

and other platforms called ''The Leah McSweeney Show'', where she interviewed individuals such as model Teddy Quinlivan, publicist

Kelly Cutrone Kelly Cutrone (born Kelly Blanding circa 1965) is an American publicist, television personality and author. Early life and career beginnings Kelly Cutrone was born and raised in Camillus, New York. Cutrone graduated from Syracuse University in 1 ...

, Fox News' Gutfeld! panelist

Kat Timpf Katherine Clare Timpf (; born October 29, 1988), known professionally as Kat Timpf, is a libertarian columnist, television personality, reporter, and comedian. She has frequently appeared on Fox News Channel's '' The Greg Gutfeld Show'' (now k ...

and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate

Marianne Williamson Marianne Deborah Williamson (born July 8, 1952) is an American author, spiritual leader, and political activist. She has written 14 books, including four ''New York Times'' number one bestsellers in the "Advice, How To, and Miscellaneous" cate ...

, the latter of whom she endorsed.

Personal life

McSweeney gave birth to her only child with Rob Cristofaro, daughter Kier Marie, in 2007. McSweeney converted to Judaism in March 2022.

Filmography

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:McSweeney, Leah 1982 births American fashion designers Living people American women fashion designers 21st-century American women