Bravo’s ‘toxic work culture’ pushed producer to OnlyFans, then he was ‘iced out’ of TV gig

A beloved, Emmy-nominated producer on a string of Bravo hits says he joined OnlyFans as a side hustle after being worn down by the grind of reality TV — and now he feels he’s not welcome on the Bravo sets.

But he tells Page Six he’s been “blown away” by the support he’s had from the reality community after speaking out about the “toxic” work culture in the reality industry.

Patrick McDonald, a former supervising producer who became a favorite of “Real Housewives” stars including Robyn Dixon, Marlo Hampton and Sutton Stacke, said on social media this week that he was partly pushed to make adult content by exhaustion and the “incredibly toxic work culture on many of the shows I worked on.”

He said in a video that his workload on shows such as “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” and Lisa Vanderpump’s hit spinoff, “Vanderpump Rules” consisted of 12-plus hour days, six days a week, “three to four months at a time.” He said he was “extremely burned-out, overworked and exhausted” — and that he noticed friends who do OnlyFans “living a life of freedom,” and making a lot more money.

Perhaps to underscore the special stresses of working in the reality field, he also posted a video of himself physically breaking up a fight between members of a “Real Housewives” cast.

(McDonald has worked for several such production companies, and it’s not clear what which companies he has accused for fostering a “toxic” culture).

He didn’t tell brass that he’d started creating NSFW content, but he believes they eventually found out.

“Things went radio silent with executive teams” when it was time for him to hop on another project, he said, “It hurt my feelings – for the last five years, [I’ve] given so much of myself to these shows.”

“It’s 2025,” he said, “There are ‘Real Housewives’ and Bravo stars with OnlyFans accounts. [It] shouldn’t be a problem [for people working] behind the scenes.” McDonald also pointed out there have been adult stars featured on “Housewives” honcho Andy Cohen’s “Watch What Happens Live” show.

Meanwhile, the “Houseswives” certainly seem to have his back. Former “The Real Housewives of Potomac” star Robyn Dixon commented on the video, “I love you Patrick! The brightest light in any room/industry you are in. You deserve all the peace and happiness!”

Her co-star Charisse Jackson-Jordan said: “Happiness over everything. You’re…by far one of the realest producers in the industry.”

Former “Real Housewives Of Atlanta” star Marlo Hampton described him as “one of the most hard-working producers I ever had.”

“RHOBH” star Sutton Stracke also wrote fondly of him.

“Honestly, I’ve been blown away by the support I’ve received from the reality TV community,” he told Page Six.

He said the outpouring of support came as no surprise “because so many of us have been complaining about these poor working conditions for so long.”

McDonald admitted he’s not sure if it was Bravo brass or the heads of the production companies who went cold on him.

A source familiar with the situation, insists Bravo knew nothing about it.

“[Bravo is] not responsible for hiring employees of the production company,” they said, adding, “it’s unlikely people at the network know him at all.”

“His video was aimed at the production company. Bravo’s not involved,” they said.

McDonald said he hopes good can come out of his video posts and that it helps “usher in some change in the way these shows, that so many of us love, are produced.”

“All I’m doing here is advocating for fair and humane treatment in the workplace… This has been going on for years and it’s time for some long overdue change… this is just the beginning,” he said.

A rep for the network did not comment.