‘Real Housewives’ creators accuse Bravo, former partner of stealing profits

The real drama about "The Real Housewives" television series is behind in the scenes in a new $5 million lawsuit by the show's creators who claim their ex-business partner conspired with Bravo to cheat them out of profits.

New York-based TV veterans Patrick Moses and Kevin Kaufman are suing Scott Dunlop and Bravo in a "case of textbook fraud and self-dealing," the Manhattan civil suit says.

In the early 2000s Kaufman visited Dunlop, a longtime friend, at his wealthy gated community of Coto de Caza in Orange County, Calif.

"Dunlop believed that the neighborhood could offer an entertainment opportunity," but he was thinking of staging a "satirical community-theater type program" not a reality television series, the suit says.

That's when Kaufman, who'd previously worked with Bravo, came up with the idea of turning the enclave into the subject for the growing genre.

Kaufman brought another TV producer, Moses, on board and the three came up with the working title, "Behind the Gates."

In 2005 the trio created a production company called Ventana and agreed to equally split the proceeds from the show because Kaufman and Moses had industry experience and Dunlop provided the local connections.

Then, a year later, after the Real Housewives of Orange County hit screens with huge success, Dunlop secretly colluded with Bravo to cut his business partners out of future spinoffs, the suit says.

Bravo reps claimed they wanted to use an Los Angeles production company to cut costs and bought the two partners out for a few thousand dollars, while claiming to retain Dunlop only as a local fixer, according to court papers.

The cable channel insisted "that there was 'no money' left in the project," the suit says, and Dunlop pushed Kaufman to sell his stake in Ventana for a mere $8,500 to avoid hefty taxes.

"Dunlop's assurances to Kaufman were even more duplicitous given their years long friendship," the suit says.

The duo recently learned through a colleague that Dunlop had retained much bigger role in Housewives, and took "for himself millions of dollars in producer fees and other compensation" that should have been split among the three original creators, the suit says.

Dunlop and Bravo "resorted to lies and deception to try to conceal what they had done and avoid the consequences of it," the suit says.

The alleged cover-up included a 2009 termination agreement between Bravo and Dunlop that shielded Bravo from future lawsuits, the suit says.

The "Real Housewives of Orange County" led to spinoffs in New York, Atlanta, New Jersey, D.C. Beverly Hills and Miami.

The network and Dunlop did not immediately return calls for comment.

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