The Untold Truth Of Luann De Lesseps

The Real Housewives of New York star Luann de Lesseps' tagline for Season 10 was: "The most interesting people make the best headlines." That cheeky line was a nod to de Lesseps' December 2017 arrest for reportedly attacking a police officer while under the influence of alcohol — news that broke soon after her sudden divorce from businessman Tom D'Agostino. Little did de Lesseps know there were even more, um, interesting headlines to come.

In July 2018, de Lesseps was sued by her two children, Noel and Victoria de Lesseps. Shortly after that shocking development, the housewife checked back into rehab. Phew, we're tired just thinking about all of this drama.

Although one might reduce de Lesseps' troubles to a case of bad luck, her life has always been a bit chaotic. In fact, ever since de Lesseps first appeared on RHONY in 2008 (yep, she's a full-fledged veteran of reality television,) she's captivated viewers with her flair for controversy. From her racial insensitivity to her complicated relationship with her ex-husband, Count Alexandre de Lesseps, this woman has a knack for creating tabloid fodder. 

Take a seat and buckle up, because we're about to race through the untold truth of Luann de Lesseps. 

Considering Luann has maintained a close relationship with her kids, Noel and Victoria, fans were understandably shocked when they sued her in July 2018, along with her ex-husband, the Count. Ouch. Why?

The suit — filed with the New York state Supreme Court — alleges that Luann failed to set up a trust for Victoria and Noel as outlined in her 2009 divorce settlement. According to Radar Online, when she sold the family home in 2014 for $8 million, she was supposed to put half of the proceeds in a trust for the kids, but she apparently bought a home in the exclusive Sag Harbor area of Long Island for $3.1 million instead.

The supposed breach of trust reportedly came to light when she informed the kids of her plan to sell her Sag Harbor home for a new pad in upstate New York. "The kids are pissed that she's leaving," a source told Page Six. "It's their childhood home. They'd also reportedly like to make sure their mom doesn't squander the money owed to them. Their dad reportedly stepped in to ensure the trust was established once and for all. "Going back to their marriage, Alex felt Luann overspent," a source told Page Six. "He did this [included the trust provision in the settlement] to protect the kids."

According to People, "Alexandre, Victoria and Noel are seeking for Luann to abide by the judgment and to prevent her from listing or selling the home."

One especially confusing part of Luann de Lesseps' life is the relationship she has with her ex-husband, Count Alexandre de Lesseps. To put it simply, her comments about him often contradict other evidence about their relationship. Want proof? 

Look no further than this Instagram post on July 2, 2018. In the photo (above), Luann is cozying up to the Count...just days before he sued her. She captioned the pic, "Greatest reunion ever! Wonderful to spend the weekend with the kids and The Count..." Was she blindsided by the legal trouble or just painting a peachy picture for her fans? Either way, it's confusing.

Another strange incident went down shortly after Luann's December 2017 bust for allegedly assaulting a police officer. At the time, an insider said the Count was disgusted by her antics. "He told her she is ruining the family name and should drop it if she's continuing to act like this," the source told Page Six. "He is watching from abroad and is totally embarrassed." 

Curiously, Luann's reps painted a different story about the supposed rift. "Her entire family has been totally supportive," a spokesperson told Page Six. Weird. One obviously doesn't know what to believe when it comes to this housewife and her ex.

When Luann de Lesseps' marriage to Tom D'Agostino went up in flames after seven months, fans assumed she'd lie low for a little while. The divorce was nasty, so no one would blame her for taking some time off from the dating scene, but de Lesseps apparently had other ideas. Rumor has it she struck up a romance with her married agent in July 2018. 

Before you freak out about the whole married part, it's important to know that the agent in question, Richard Super, supposedly filed for divorce from his wife before he was introduced to the famous housewife. Hmm, perhaps these two bonded over their divorce proceedings?

Divorce drama aside, it sounds like this couple is in the hot and heavy stage of its rebound relationship. "Their chemistry was instant. He's very aggressive and she goes toe-to-toe with him," a source told People. "You can tell they're having a lot of fun together." Oh la la.

The only problem? De Lesseps checked herself into rehab for the second time just a few days after news of their relationship broke. Navigating a budding connection is difficult as is, but doing some from rehab could prove problematic. We'll just have to wait and see. 

One of Luann de Lesseps' singles from her short-lived music career is "Money Can't Buy You Class." In one verse of that song, she croons (via HuffPost): "Money can't buy you class / Elegance is learned, my friends." Well, it looks like money can't buy you manners either, because de Lesseps was reportedly a major diva at the San Francisco pride parade in June 2018. 

The reality star rode on a float with members of a LGBTQ nonprofit, but she was allegedly a nightmare from start to finish. A source claimed de Lesseps spent the entire time "barking orders" at her staff, which created a "frustrating" and "stressful" environment, reported Page Six. "She was very concerned with people recognizing her. She completely stressed volunteers out by micromanaging ... [about] a banner announcing her presence.""

Interestingly enough, de Lesseps' reps didn't exactly deny her diva ways. "It is conceivable that it was perceived that she was micromanaging and concerned about banner placement, but she's a perfectionist and a professional, which is why her cabaret show is so good and selling out," a spokesperson told the tab. Touché.

De Lesseps could use some sensitivity training, especially concerning issues of race. Case in point: She was accused of wearing blackface in October 2017, when she dressed up as singer Diana Ross for Halloween. Many fans couldn't help but notice that the reality star put on a lot of bronzer for the costume, and others were stunned by her massive Afro. 

Following widespread backlash against her impersonation, de Lesseps attempted to defend herself on an April 2018 episode of Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live. "I'm horrified! I never meant to hurt anybody's feelings. I love Diana Ross and I totally respect Diana Ross," she said. "It was really kind of a tribute to her, and it was Halloween." De Lesseps also denied the blackface accusation, telling Cohen: "I had bronzer on that I wear normally like the rest of my skin. I'm tan, like right now. So I didn't add anything to or would ever, ever, ever dream of doing a blackface, ever..."

But wait! That's not all. De Lesseps, who has Native American ancestry, also reportedly offended fellow cast member Carole Radziwill by referring to herself as an '"Indian." When Radziwill explained why that term is offensive, de Lesseps joked that her then-boyfriend "always calls" her a "wild Indian." No comment.

When de Lesseps was charged with drunk and disorderly conduct in December 2017, it was widely assumed she had some issues with alcohol, but even RHONY diehards never could have guessed the worrisome extent of her problem. 

About four months after her arrest, de Lesseps got excruciatingly real about how her drinking spiraled out of control following her divorce from D'Agostino. "I would start with a martini and maybe have two martinis, and then get into the wine at dinner," she told People. "Then I'd have a little bit of vodka soda going out." Soon enough, she found herself trapped in a vicious cycle of alcohol dependency. "I would have the hair of the dog drink the next day, and drink more, and it didn't feel good. Alcohol just stopped working for me," she said. 

Although de Lesseps completed a rehab program to treat her issues, she reportedly relapsed in July 2018. "She was having a very hard time with the drama of lawsuit surrounding her, and has been reflecting on all of her bad mistakes recently and completely hit a wall," an insider told E! News. "She definitely thought she could handle incorporating alcohol back into her life casually, but eventually spiraled out of control."

We sincerely wish her the best with her recovery and self-care.

When Luann de Lesseps' checked into rehab for the second time, RHONY cast member Bethenny Frankel released a statement on her behalf (via People). "This weekend, Luann was surrounded by her girlfriends and decided — with their support — that in light of recent circumstances, it is the healthiest choice for her not to attend Tuesday's reunion taping so that she can continue in her healing process."

What Frankel's statement failed to mention was the rumor that de Lesseps initially declined help. Apparently, an intervention her friends tried to stage in the weeks before her rehab announcement was "poorly received," reported Page Six. "Worried" that she'd do "serious harm" to herself, de Lesseps' pals intervened again. 

Fortunately, she finally accepted help. "Bravo has been very supportive of Luann during this time," Frankel said. "It's a brave and honest decision by her, and everyone is rallying around her and wants the best for her."

When a couple gets married shortly after meeting, it's understandable for people to have suspicions about the nature of the relationship. Someone who knows this all too well is Luann de Lesseps, who faced uncomfortable accusations about the authenticity of her whirlwind romance with business mogul Tom D'Agostino. 

Some of de Lesseps' RHONY cast members reportedly theorized that de Lesseps wed D'Agostino to secure another season on the show, and suspicions reached a fever pitch when the newlyweds parted ways in August 2017, shortly before RHONY resumed filming. An insider discussed the interesting timing with Radar Online. "They are right now deciding which ladies to invite back and which one to fire," the source said. "This split will almost guarantee that Luann is back. She has outplayed and out-maneuvered all the other ladies."  

"Each season Luann comes up with the best storyline just at the right moment," the insider added. "Some think the whole wedding was a press stunt."

Although we can't deny the curious timing of the split, we'd hate to think de Lesseps faked an entire marriage for a storyline. 

When de Lesseps and D'Agostino split, rumors quickly spread about why their marriage failed, and some speculated de Lesseps' ex-boyfriend of four years, Jacques Azoulay, played a role in the breakup. Although it's not clear how the gossip started, it was reported that D'Agostino filed for divorce when he found out de Lesseps' supposedly invited Azoulay to her luxurious home in Sag Harbor, Long Island. When D'Agostino found out, he allegedly decided to end the union for good.

The truth, however, is a lot less salacious. "Jacques has a girlfriend and he's staying in a hotel, we're friends, he's not staying at my house," de Lesseps told Page Six. "There's no truth to the story of Jacques and me. God knows I've been going through enough recently, I don't understand why this false rumor is coming at me."

Believe what you like, but De Lesseps was right about the girlfriend. According to Page Six, Azoulay was in a relationship with model Missy Hargraves at the time.

One of the lesser discussed facts about Luann de Lesseps' life is her past career as a nurse. That's right, she became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) before jetting around the world as a famous model.

The nursing stint all started with a little babysitting."During my teen years, I worked in [a] rest home owned by a family for whom I babysat. Although I spent most of my time washing dishes in the kitchen, I took every opportunity to chat with the rest home's elderly residents and found that I had an affinity for helping people," she said (via Forbes). "Then, after graduating high school, I did a brief stint as a secretary to a bank president. Quickly I realized that office work was not for me so I enrolled in nursing school ... I knew that nurses were always in demand and that I could have a fulfilling career in the health field."

De Lesseps was smart about milking her education for everything it was worth. "Being a nurse paid on per diem allowed me the flexibility to model when jobs came up," she said. "My career in nursing actually got me a few modeling jobs since I could do 'double duty' and serve as the medical staff for a shoot."