Real Housewives of New York is finally back and it started with a bang! It’s my favorite housewives franchise so I’m thrilled. One housewife I’m especially excited to follow this season is our ever-self absorbed cabaret queen, Luann de Lesseps. It’s obviously been a tough few years for her. First came her divorce from the Count, then the ill-fated marriage with Tom D’Agostino that dissolved as quickly as it started (maybe quicker). Then came her downward spiral with drinking, a wild arrest story, time in jail and the subsequent probation she had to serve.
Despite her newfound success and epic comeback as a cabaret star, the ladies of RHONY weren’t really feeling Luann as of late. They accused her of being selfish (true), narcissistic (also true), and insufferable (extra true). So it’s safe to say Luann hasn’t been having the best run on the last few seasons.
But now Lu is happy to report that’s all going to change. She told Us Weekly, “This season, for me, is about redemption.”
She continues, “After what I’d been through the last couple years — which has been hell — and then, before that, divorce, I just feel like this is the season where you get to see me shine. I thought I could shine last season. I just couldn’t because there was just so much that the women didn’t understand about me and what I was going through.”
Luann admits that last season didn’t exactly go as planned, citing how much of her head space was taken up with being on probation and staying sober. She explains, “It was a very difficult time for me, going through what I was going through. And I don’t think I could’ve given them the energy that they wanted from me because I was just too busy trying to focus on staying on my path.”
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This statement isn’t surprising at all considering how easy it was for Lu to slip up in the past. She was arrested for battery, trespassing and disorderly intoxication back in December 2017. She had two stints in rehab to try and get back on track. Unfortunately for Lu, that didn’t work and she relapsed in April of 2019, violating her probation and forcing her to accept a stricter plea deal to stay out of jail.
As shown on the first episode of this season, Luann has finally completed her probation. This was a huge weight off her shoulders. She continues, “This season, that you’re going to finally see me on my path and them being OK with that. I’m just not drinking for now. I’m using this time to just really take care of myself and focus on my new show. I have a new dance song coming out with Desmond Child, so I’m working on that. It’s coming out this summer, called ‘Viva La Diva.’ … I take it day by day.”
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Luann also says she’s in control now. She remarked, “I feel like I can choose as an adult and a grown woman to do what I want to do, and I just didn’t want to be judged or pigeon-holed. So, I put it out there that, ‘Look! I’ll drink if I feel like it.’” I think I’m going to like this version of Luann.
RELATED: Luann De Lesseps Confirms She’s Drinking Again And “Toasting To A Happy New Year Ahead”
TELL US – DO YOU THINK LUANN WILL GET REDEMPTION THIS SEASON? WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THE FIRST EPISODE OF RHONY?
[Photo Credits: Bravo]