Celebrity Feuds

Elon Musk subió la apuesta en su actual disputa con Don Lemon, comparando al presentador con Veruca Salt, la niña malcriada de las películas de "Willy Wonka".

En un post del viernes por la noche en X, el multimillonario magante escribió: "Don "Veruca Salt" [emoji de limón]", vinculando al ex moderador de CNN con el personaje de la niña mimada, que se quejaba de querer cosas de su padre rico a lo largo de la famosa película de 1971.

Como se sabe, la mala sangre entre los dos hombres se deriva de que Elon canceló el contrato de Don para presentar su propio programa de televisión en la plataforma de redes sociales X, que es de propiedad de Musk.

A principios de esta semana, Elon se enojó con Don por una entrevista suya que estaba programada que apareciera en X, pero nunca se emitió.

En esa entrevista, Don hizo algunas preguntas que irritaron a Elon y lo llevaron a terminar el acuerdo que tenían juntos, incluso antes de que el programa saliera al aire.

Don entonces fue a CNN, su antiguo empleador, para discutir lo ocurrido con la presentadora Erin Burnett. Allí se emitieron algunos clips de la entrevista que daban una idea de lo que pudo haber molestado a Musk. El discurso de odio en X y su consumo de ketamina fueron algunos de los temas que se hablaron.

El New York Post informó el viernes que Don solicitó una lista de demandas a Elon durante las negociaciones del contrato, incluyendo un Tesla Cybertruck libre y $8 millones, con $ 5 millones pagados por adelantado.

Nos pusimos al día con Don después de toda la debacle y nos dijo que X necesita su voz en la plataforma.

Drake Bell is putting Will Friedle and Rider Strong on blast for their prior defense of sex offender Brian Peck ... slamming them for what he claims is a lack of an apology.

The former Nickelodeon star -- who recently came forward with sexual abuse allegations against his ex-dialogue coach -- called out the "Boy Meets World" alums on Instagram Thursday as fans began suggesting Will and Rider were victims too in all this.

While some defended that Will and Rider were manipulated by Brian into defending him --remember, they'd each written letters on Peck's behalf in his criminal case from 2004 -- Drake wasn't ready to let them off the hook.

As Drake put it ... Will and Rider weren't minors at the time of the case. Apparently, the two TV stars were 27 and 24 when this all happened ... and DB claims Brian even told them what he had done when he was enlisting their help.

Drake also alleged Will never said a word about the letter he wrote for Brian when they worked together on the Disney XD show, "Ultimate Spider-Man," years later.

Drake alleged that Will and Rider's recent comments about the situation on their podcast were just their way of trying to get ahead of the story. He added ... "Everyone thought the letters would be sealed forever and no one would ever see them."

Will and Rider paint a different picture, of course ... previously claiming on a February episode of "Pod Meets World" that they regretted their involvement in the case. They claimed that they didn't know the full extent of the allegations made against Brian -- which included performing a lewd act with a 14 or 15-year-old and oral copulation with a minor under 16.

Don Lemon's defending his interview with Elon Musk ... asking people to watch the interview before they dismiss him -- and saying X would benefit from these kinds of convos.

We caught up with the talk show host in the Big Apple Friday and asked him all about his upcoming interview with Elon ... he's challenging people to sit down, watch the interview and let him know why he's not the right voice for X -- 'cause Don says he can't figure it out!

Lemon -- who says he's open to speaking to Musk despite his recent firing -- says he's giving the platform the kind of conversation he thinks it needs ... and he wants X to hire people with his viewpoint to further its free speech goals.

When asked if he'd consider the Shannon Sharpe/"Club Shay Shay" route -- DL seems to be thinking about it, and he's got nothing but praise for the former Denver Bronco.

As for whether his beef with Don might cause Elon to lose followers ... Lemon's a lot less sure. He seems to think Elon is uber-popular with his base, regardless.

BTW ... Elon's resorting to name-calling in this beef -- calling Don a "pompous fool" on X Friday before saying he's still got the right to share the interview on X when it drops.

Don's on his full rollout tour right now -- sharing bits and pieces of his interview set for release on YouTube and X on Monday, and he shared a particularly wild clip on "The View" Friday.

Check out the latest clip he dropped on "The View" ... Don asks EM if he values women and minority pilots less than men, and Elon says no -- but he also cites replies on his platform as alleged evidence standards are being lowered to include them in the profession.

All in all, not really a great look for the X CEO ... and it seems like this is just the very tip of the controversy iceberg.

Don Lemon volvió a la cadena que lo despidió para hablar de su entrevista con Elon Musk que le hizo perder su acuerdo con X e incluso emitió algunos clips de la conversación.

El ex presentador de noticias fue presentado como invitado de Erin Burnett en CNN el miércoles, donde hablaron sobre la entrevista que hicieron con Elon y que luego provocó que este terminara el acuerdo de su compañía con Don para presentar y distribuir su nuevo programa con ellos.

Obviamente, todos tienen curiosidad de qué fue lo que cabreó tanto a Elon exactamente y ahora, tenemos una idea de lo que podría haber sido porque CNN emitió 3 extractos.

El primer clip muestra a Don compartiendo estadísticas sobre el aumento del discurso de odio en X e incluso abordó el tema de la Gran Teoría de Reemplazo, que abrazan los supremacistas blancos y de la que Elon ha sido acusado por tolerar en su plataforma.

Se puede decir de inmediato que Elon estaba molesto por el interrogatorio e incluso dejó a Don saber que no tiene que responderle a nadie, señalando que solo accedió a conversar con él porque era parte de la familia X, y Don pidió una entrevista.

Fue una interacción bien fría, y sobre ella, Don le dijo a Erin que no cree que Elon esté dispuesto a aceptar los hechos y que siente que no tiene que responderle a nadie o asumir la responsabilidad por lo que se publica en X. Los clips no terminaron allí, sin embargo ..

En otro clip Don le pregunta a Elon sobre su consumo de ketamina, algo que Elon ha admitido y aunque este tema no era tan incómodo, se puede decir que era algo personal para. Básicamente, dijo que si la gente está deprimida, deberían investigarlo.

También hablaron de política y Elon dijo que no estaba listo para apoyar a ningún candidato, aunque dijo que se inclinaba por Biden. Señaló que él y Trump habían hablado recientemente en Mar-a-Lago y dijo que no le había donado a Donald Trump en absoluto.

Cuento corto, Don volvió a la boca del lobo para transmitir estos clips y es bastante irónico, teniendo en cuenta que le dieron una patada para priorizar un liderazgo diferente.

Don Lemon went back to the network that fired him to talk about his Elon Musk interview that made him lose out on his deal with X ... and he even aired some clips from their chat.

The former news anchor was featured as Erin Burnett's guest on CNN Wednesday, where they spoke about this sit-down Don did with Elon just yesterday -- which then triggered Elon to terminate his company's deal with Don to host and distribute his new show with them.

Obviously, everyone has been curious about what exactly was said that pissed EM off so much -- and now, we have a sense of what it might've been ... 'cause CNN aired 3 excerpts.

The first clip they played showed Don rattling off stats about an uptick in hate speech on X -- and DL even entertained the topic of the Great Replacement Theory, embraced by white supremacists ... which Elon's been accused of entertaining and tolerating on his platform.

You could tell right off the bat that Elon was annoyed by the line of questioning -- and he even let Don know, he doesn't have to answer anyone's questions ... noting he only agreed to chat with Don because he was now part of the X family, and Don asked for an interview.

It was an icy interaction ... and Don goes on to tell Erin he doesn't think Elon is willing to accept facts -- going on to say he feels like Elon doesn't have to answer to anyone or take accountability for what's posted on X. The clips didn't end there, though ... there was more.

Another clip aired where Don asked Elon about his ketamine use -- something Elon has admitted to -- and while that topic wasn't nearly as awkward ... you can tell it was somewhat personal for Elon. He basically said if people are depressed, they should look into it.

They also talked politics at one point ... and Elon said he wasn't ready to endorse any candidate just yet -- although he did say he was leaning away from Biden. He noted he and Trump had recently spoken at Mar-a-Lago ... and said he hadn't donated to DT at all.

Long story short ... Don went back into the lion's den to air these clips -- which is pretty ironic, considering they kicked him to the curb, albeit under different leadership.

Don Lemon ha cancelado su acuerdo con X antes de que se emitiera el primer episodio, y culpa a su entrevista con Elon Musk, en la que aparentemente tocó un punto delicado.

El ex presentador de CNN anunció el miércoles en redes sociales el fin de su acuerdo exclusivo con la plataforma de Elon Musk, tanto a través de una declaración escrita como en un breve video que irónicamente publicó en X.

Don explica que se sentó con Elon el viernes para entrevistarlo en el primer episodio de "The Don Lemon Show", diciendo que quería tener a Musk como su primer invitado, porque Elon se considera un gran defensor de la libertad de expresión.

Don dijo que la entrevista no tenía temas fuera de límite, y aunque Don admite que la conversación se puso tensa a ratos, en última instancia dice que las cosas salieron bien.

Sin embargo, parece que Musk no se sentía de la misma manera, y afirma que su acuerdo con X -acordado hace apenas dos meses- se terminó apenas unas horas después de su entrevista.

Lemon le dijo a sus fans que trabajó con X porque es un creyente en la libertad de expresión y quería que su mensaje llegara a un público masivo, y ser "despedido" de X no impide que el ex presentador de CNN lo transmita en la plataforma y en otros lugares.

Lemon dice que todavía piensa publicar la entrevista el lunes 18 de marzo en YouTube y X, lo que podría tomarse como una afrenta hacia Elon. También va a seguir con el programa sin el respaldo de X, así que "The Don Lemon Show" sigue en pie.

En cuanto a lo que exactamente discutieron, no sabemos mucho, pero los informes sugieren que Don hizo algunas preguntas contundentes, incluyendo preguntas sobre el uso de Musk de la ketamina.

Aparentemente, Lemon todavía piensa que X le debe dinero, con un portavoz de Don diciéndole al sitio de noticias Puck, que está dispuesto a ir a los tribunales por el dinero que cree que le deben.

Por su parte, X dice que su plataforma apoya la libertad de expresión, y Don puede publicar libremente lo que quiera, pero X, por otra parte, sigue siendo un negocio y puede optar por iniciar o terminar asociaciones con empresas como mejor le parezca.

En cuanto a Elon... le respondió a una cuenta de parodia de Mark Zuckerberg en X y afirmó que Don todavía estaba haciendo sus trucos de CNN en X y dijo que sentía que solo estaba repitiendo los mismos pasos que su antiguo jefe en la red, Jeff Zucker. Elon también dice que sentía Don no estaba siendo auténtico... y parecer esto fue suficiente para desechar el acuerdo.

Don Lemon's X partnership is dunzo -- his deal falling apart before the first episode could even air ... and he blames his Elon Musk interview, where he apparently struck a nerve.

The former CNN anchor took to social media Wednesday to announce the end of his exclusive deal with Elon's platform -- both via written statement and in a short video he posted to X, ironically enough.

The way Don explains it ... he sat down with Elon Friday to interview him for the first episode of "The Don Lemon Show," saying he wanted to speak with Musk as his debut guest because Elon considers himself a major proponent of free speech.

Don said the interview had no off-limit topics, and -- even though DL admits the convo got tense at times ... ultimately, he says he felt it was a good, fair back-and-forth.

However, it sounds like Musk didn't feel the same way according to Lemon ... who claims his deal with X -- agreed upon just two months ago -- was terminated mere hours after their interview wrapped.

Lemon told his fans he worked with X because he's a believer in free speech and wanted his message to reach a mass audience ... and, getting "fired" from X ain't stopping the former CNN anchor from airing it on the platform and elsewhere.

Lemon says he's still dropping the interview in all its glory Monday, March 18 on YouTube and X as well -- seemingly a big middle finger to EM and co. He's also gonna carry on with the show without X's backing ... so, the "The Don Lemon Show" is still on.

As for exactly what the two discussed ... we don't know much, but reports are floating around Don asked some hard-hitting questions -- including queries about Musk's use of ketamine.

BTW ... Lemon apparently still thinks X owes him money -- with a spokesperson for Don telling news site Puck he's willing to go to court for the cash he believes is owed ... to be continued, we suppose.

For their part, X is saying their platform is all about free speech, and Don can freely post whatever he wants ... but also X is still a business and can choose to begin or end partnerships with businesses as it sees fit.

As for Elon ... he responded to a Mark Zuckerberg parody account on X -- and claimed Don was still doing his CNN shtick, just on X -- and he said he felt Don was just parroting his old boss at the network, Jeff Zucker. EM also says he felt Don was putting on an act and not being his authentic self ... which was apparently enough for him to scrap their deal.

3:32 PM PT -- Saquon Barkley is firing back at Tiki Barber ... accusing the NYG legend of hating on him even years before he opted to leave for the rival Eagles.

"you been a hater since I got to New York," Barkley said in a message to Barber on X. "… and all the 'Dead to me' talk don’t smile in my face when you see me."

Barkley added, "lol yup you’re the prime example of loyalty to a team.. I got the deal I wanted, secured more gm which wasn’t given to me before… so if fans are gonna hate me for that so be it! But I never turned my back on my teammates and always had theirs."

Tiki Barber is furious with Saquon Barkley for leaving the New York Giants in favor of the rival Philadelphia Eagles ... saying straight up Monday, "You're dead to me!!"

The NYG legend unleashed the harsh words on WFAN's "Evan and Tiki" just minutes after it was reported that Barkley will ink a three-year deal with Philly worth around $37 million when the new NFL year kicks off later this week.

"He's dead to us now," Barber said of Barkley. "You're dead to us, Saquon."

Tiki was hardly the only Big Blue supporter livid with the move -- numerous fans sounded off all afternoon on X as well.

Even Barber's cohost on the show, Shaun Morash, threw some shade Barkley's way too.

"By the way, Philly," he said, "enjoy the nine games he'll play next year. Enjoy, Philly. Enjoy."

Barber -- who played his whole 10-year NFL career with the Giants -- wasn't just mad at Barkley over the situation, though. He also admitted that the Giants mishandled the matter -- particularly by not franchise-tagging him this year.

Barkley was on Barber's mind even before Monday's news ... as just days ago he warned the 27-year-old tailback not to sign with the Eagles ... claiming it would be an insult to the Giants' legacy.

"Go to Baltimore!" he said. "Go to Houston! Go to L.A. Chargers! Do not go to the Philadelphia Eagles because if you do, that appreciation and respect and reverence that we all have for you, Saquon, will be lost. It will be gone"

"You’re going to turn into one of those people that we hate, and we don’t want that. We don’t. We’ll respect you, but we’ll hate you, and that’s not a good thing."

Sure doesn't seem like Tiki was lying.

B.G.'s long-awaited prison release has done NADA for Cash Money Hot Boys reunion talks -- it's actually moving things in the opposite direction!!!

During our convo with Juvenile, the OG of the bunch assured TMZ Hip Hop their reunion tour is still going down, as he plans to put his "big brother" peer mediation skills to work.

Juve believes the CMB crew just needs time to cool off -- but, as for how long that will take ... whoadie that's another story!!!

Turk was confident in telling TMZ Hip Hop a few months ago that the original Cash Money cartel would be taking over like they did in '99 and the 2000s ... but B.G. kicked off the year throwing shots at Lil Wayne and apparently, Turk needs a make-good himself.

Birdman's brother Terrence "Gangsta" Williams recently speculated to DJ Vlad that Turk would have to distance himself from Birdman if the tour happens, as the CM boss is still upset over Turk's bean-spilling "Drink Champs" interview from a couple years back.

Returning to the basics could potentially squash the posse infighting ... Juve's re-releasing his "400 Degreez" on March 29 with a pair of new tracks named "Party" and "We Be Blowing Money" and fondly recalled memories of making the classic album.

Juve didn't have an explanation for why there are several variations of his breakout single "Ha" on the project, but he's happy he took a gamble on rapping over a Latin track where he won big with his "Follow Me Now" hit.

Antonio Brown está cambiando a la ex esposa de Tom Brady por la novia de Travis Kelce, pues el polémico ex superestrella de la NFL ha lanzado una campaña de troleo sobre Taylor Swift.

Antonio Brown, que tiene cero filtro cuando se trata de su presencia en redes, compartió el viernes lo que parece ser una foto generada por IA de sí mismo con una camiseta de los Steelers besándose con la superestrella del pop, diciendo: "Muévete Jizelle, ¿de qué están hablando estos Swifties? #CTESPN"

Brown fue incesantemente tras Gisele Bundchen en las redes sociales tras su divorcio del ex quarterback el año pasado, publicando fotos editadas de los dos juntos para insinuar que él era el responsable de su separación.

Tan recientemente como la semana pasada, se refirió a la ex pareja después de que Gisele confirmara su relación con Joaquim Valente, compartiendo una foto real del receptor y la modelo abrazándose después de ganar el Super Bowl en 2021.

Pero, parece que ha terminado con Gisele, al menos por ahora, porque su último post ha causado un gran revuelo y muchos de sus seguidores le están advirtiendo que los Swifties inevitablemente se unirán para asegurarse de que se arrepienta de su jugada.

Antonio Brown is shifting his focus from Tom Brady's ex-wife to Travis Kelce's girlfriend ... 'cause the controversial former NFL superstar has launched a trolling campaign on Taylor Swift.

AB -- who has zero filter when it comes to his online presence -- dropped what appears to be an AI-generated pic of himself in a Steelers jersey making out with the pop superstar on Friday ... saying, "Move over Jizelle, what these Swifties talkin bout? #CTESPN"

Brown incessantly went after Gisele Bundchen on social media following his former quarterback's divorce last year ... posting edited photos of the two together to insinuate he was responsible for their split.

As recently as last week, he targeted the former couple after Gisele confirmed her relationship with Joaquim Valente ... sharing a real picture of the receiver and model hugging after winning the Super Bowl in 2021.

But, it seems like he's done with Gisele -- at least for the time being -- 'cause he's caused quite a stir with his latest post ... and a lot of his followers are warning him the Swifties will inevitably team together to make sure he regrets the move.

Swift and AI have had a rough relationship lately -- as we previously reported, a ton of weirdos flooded social media with fake X-rated content featuring the "Anti-Hero" artist ... so yeah, this ain't gonna sit well with the fanbase one bit.

Wolfgang Van Halen is breaking his silence after David Lee Roth attacked him in an angry viral rant 2 months ago ... firing back with some shots of his own.

In a new interview with a local radio station out of Atlanta, the late Eddie Van Halen's son says he's been born into the family drama and feels like David's targeting him now since his dad is no longer alive ... and the guy still seems to have gripes he wants to get off his chest.

Back in January, David Lee Roth erupted on Wolfgang in a bizarre YouTube video, suggesting the only reason WVH was the Van Halen bassist was through nepotism, and accusing Wolfgang of complaining David wasn't paying him enough attention on stage.

DLR said, "This f***ing kid, he's complaining the entire tour like I'm not paying enough attention to him on stage. Like Santa Claus coming down the chimney and popping out on Christmas with nobody paying attention."

Wolfgang now says he's honored David thinks about him enough to make a YouTube video about him ... adding DLR is full of crap for suggesting he wrote Eddie's solos and came up with Eddie's famous Frankenstein guitar.

David also accused Wolfgang of trying to teach him a lesson by getting two of his female guests kicked out of a show at the Hollywood Bowl ... but Wolfgang says folks should take everything David says with a grain of salt.

DJ Akademiks is accusing Meek Mill of being a snitch after cops allegedly showed up to his house -- and if he wants to fight the rapper ... they now have the opportunity to do so!

There's a lucrative 7-figure offer on the table to sweeten the deal between these 2 foes ... and it comes courtesy of Celebrity Boxing czar Damon Feldman.

He tells TMZ Hip Hop ... he's got a cool $1 million purse locked and loaded for Ak and Meek -- in addition to other amenities, if they wanna take him up on this. Damon also says he has a venue in Atlanta booked for May 18, adamant he wants both guys to give it their best.

Meek already has a boxing trainer in his corner, but Damon says he's willing to provide Akademiks with one of his top guys -- if he's inclined to train ahead of the fight.

Ak told Adin Ross this week that he considers Meek a straight-up bully -- while going on to call him cowardly, accusing him of hiding behind his goons ... and he seems eager to take him with his fists.

They've had beef for years, of course, but the latest episode spilled into the e-streets over this wild Diddy lawsuit filed this week by his ex-producer ... who floated salacious claims.

Meek took the bait and went down a wild social media rabbit hole ... responding to Ak but all the posts have since run their course with fans.

Missy Elliott is putting a stop to any potential rift between Cardi B and BIA after both rap stars sampled one of her classics ... saying they're both free to use it, without issue.

Cardi put her 2024 comeback into first gear on Friday with the release of her "Like What (Freestyle)" vid ... directed by her hubby Offset.

The beat rides Missy's 1999 hit "She's a Bitch" ... which just so happened to be the same template for BIA's 2023 single "I’m That Bitch."

BIA defended her own credibility in a suspicious post on X as Cardi was teasing her track ... "BIA THIS… BIA THAT BIA KNOW HOW TO F***** RAP."

The Rock Hall-bound Missy cosigned a comment that commended both artists for using her with a heart hands emoji ... basically a cease-fire for weirdo fans looking to start beef.

None of this probably would've happened if had they taken the advice from 1500 or Nothin's Larrance Dopson -- remember, the Grammy Award-winner told us last year that low-hanging fruit samples are ruining rap music.

Múltiples estrellas de la franquicia "Real Housewives" están saliendo en defensa de Andy Cohen por las acusaciones de Leah McSweeney y todos ellos se inclinan por la idea de que cada miembro del elenco es personalmente responsable de sus acciones.

Luann de Lesseps, que compartió reparto con Leah en "RHONY", habló con nosotros el miércoles en "TMZ Live" sobre la demanda de Leah contra Cohen, la productora de Shed Media y Warner Bros., alegando que se aprovecharon de sus problemas de abuso de alcohol.

Leah afirma que fue alentada por Cohen y otros a beber, y todo para supuestamente crear un mejor contenido para el programa.

Luann, hablando desde su experiencia personal, no sentía que ese fuera su caso, diciendo que, por supuesto, el alcohol y las fiestas son parte del mundo de "Housewives", pero nadie la obligó a tomar una copa.

De hecho, ella dice que no cree que nadie pueda hacer que una persona beba, en lugar de eso, ella cree que la responsabilidad personal juega un papel clave en la recuperación de la adicción. Este es un tema del que Luann también se ocupó durante el rodaje de la serie, después de haber ido a rehabilitación en varias ocasiones.

En cuanto a la afirmación de que Leah Andy consume cocaína con las amas de casa, Luann dijo que nunca ha visto ni oído hablar de eso y añade que ella no es así.

Luann dice que ella está "manejando la situación" respecto al consumo de alcohol, y está de gira con un nuevo espectáculo de cabaret e insiste en que no tiene que beber para pasar un buen rato en "Housewives".

Ella responde por Andy, diciendo que no cree que él obligaría a nadie a beber como asegura Leah, un sentimiento del que se hizo eco otra ex estrella de "RHONY".

Dorinda Medley -que apareció en el programa entre 2015 y 2020- nos dice que se siente terrible por Andy y cuestiona por qué Leah decidió volver para una segunda temporada de "RHONY" y un "Ultimate Girls Trip" si se sentía tan incómoda.

Medley añadió que se saltaría a la oportunidad de volver a "Real Housewives", diciendo que no ha tenido más que buenas experiencias con Andy y Bravo y además le ha beneficiado mucho estar en el show. También dijo que los adultos deben ser responsables de sus propias acciones.

Y un no neoyorquino -Cynthia Bailey ex de "Real Housewives of Atlanta"- también defendió a Andy, diciéndonos en LAX que ella nunca se vio obligada a beber o nunca creyó que Andy estuviera consumiendo cocaína como afirmó McSweeney.

Cynthia dice que simpatiza con los adictos, pero añade que las personas que saben que tienen problemas de abuso de sustancias deben tomar decisiones inteligentes, como rechazar cócteles si saben que tienen un problema.

A propósito, otra ex estrella de Bravo -Brandi Glanville- también está amenazando con demandar a Andy por un comentario inapropiado que supuestamente hizo.

Multiple stars of the 'Real Housewives' franchise are coming forward to defend Andy Cohen against Leah McSweeney's allegations -- and they're all leaning into the idea each cast member is personally responsible for her actions.

Luann de Lesseps, who costarred with Leah on 'RHONY,' talked to us Wednesday on "TMZ Live" about Leah's lawsuit against Cohen, Bravo, the production company Shed Media, and Warner Bros. ... claiming they took advantage of her alcohol abuse issues.

Leah claims she was encouraged by Cohen and others on and around the show to drink all in the name of creating better content for the program.

Luann, speaking from personal experience, didn't feel that was the case for her ... saying of course alcohol and parties are part of the 'Housewives' world, but no one ever forced her to take up a glass.

In fact, she says she doesn't think anyone can make a person drink, instead believing personal responsibility plays a key part in addiction recovery -- an issue Luann also dealt with while shooting for the show, having gone to rehab multiple times.

As for Leah's allegation Andy does cocaine with the housewives ... Luann says she's never seen or heard about that, and adds it's not in his character.

LDL says she's now in the "driver's seat" with alcohol consumption and touring with a new cabaret show -- and insists you don't have drink to have a good time on 'Housewives.'

She further vouches for Andy, saying she doesn't believe he'd force anyone to drink like Leah's claiming -- a sentiment echoed by another former 'RHONY' star.

Dorinda Medley -- who appeared on the show from 2015 to 2020 -- tells us she feels terrible for Andy, and questions why Leah decided to come back for a second season of 'RHONY' and an 'Ultimate Girls Trip' if she felt so uncomfortable.

Medley added she'd jump at the chance to get back on 'Real Housewives' ... saying she's had nothing but good experiences with Andy and Bravo and she's gained so much by being on the show. She also said adults need to be held accountable for their own actions.

And, a non-New Yorker -- Cynthia Bailey formerly of "Real Housewives of Atlanta" fame -- also stood by Andy, telling us at LAX, she was never forced to drink or ever believed Andy was using cocaine as McSweeney claimed.

CB says she sympathizes with addicts, but adds people who know they have substance abuse problems need to make smart choices -- like turning down cocktails if they know they have a problem

BTW ... another former Bravo star, Brandi Glanville, is also threatening to sue Andy for an inappropriate comment he allegedly made.