Lisa Vanderpump Defends Andy Cohen, Trashes Rachel Leviss Lawsuit

3/2 9:58 AM PT -- Rachel Leviss' rep is responding to Lisa's dig ... calling the comments, "A disappointing choice for an executive on the show since victim shaming is a defense mechanism often used by abusers and coming from a person in a position of power can cause even further harm to a person's mental health.”

Lisa Vanderpump is coming to the defense of her old friend Andy Cohen amid some new allegations -- and in the same breath ... she's taking a swipe at Rachel Leviss.

The former 'Housewives' star -- who obviously ended up getting up her spinoff show on Bravo -- was arriving at LAX at landing back in town Friday ... where our photog ran into her and asked her all about the latest drama going on in the reality world, and there's a lot.

For starters, our camera guy asked about Leah McSweeney's claims in a new lawsuit she filed this week against the Bravo honcho ... alleging he'd partaken in cocaine, not to mention claiming Bravo at large was a toxic hell hole that coaxed their stars into boozing/debauchery.

Well, Lisa has some thoughts on all that ... and she goes to bat for AC here, telling us she's never seen him do any hard drugs -- nor does she know him to be how Leah described.

On the notion that Bravo is pressuring 'Housewives' into drinking on set ... Lisa says what a lot of her contemporaries have already been making clear -- the stars are adults, and they don't have to do anything they don't want to. Bottom line ... she calls BS on Leah's suit.

Lastly, Lisa weighs in on the legal battle brewing in her own world ... namely, Rachel suing Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix over revenge porn, among other things.

She doesn't have very nice things to say about that either -- noting Rachel probably should've never compromised herself on camera the way she did if she didn't want it out.

We clarify, though, that Tom's alleged to have recorded her from his phone and circulated it with the cast ... but even then, she doesn't have much sympathy for her ex-employee.

Bottom line ... Lisa's good with Andy, not so much with Leah and Rachel. That much is clear.