RHONY Star Luann De Lesseps Avoids Jail Time After Drunken Arrest
Luann de Lesseps of The Real Housewives of New York City fame managed to avoid time behind bars by taking a plea deal after her 2017 Christmas-time arrest.
TMZ reports that the reality TV star's plea deal was officially approved by a judge on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018. In late July 2018, de Lesseps, who'd been facing a felony charge for resisting an officer with violence, had pleaded guilty to three charges: battery, trespassing, and disorderly intoxication.
As Nicki Swift previously reported, de Lesseps was arrested in Palm Beach, Fla. on Dec. 14, 2017, and taken to jail after allegedly exhibiting "drunk and disorderly conduct." Later reports revealed that de Lesseps had allegedly drunkenly entered the wrong hotel room and refused to leave. When cops showed up, de Lesseps reportedly fought them, pushing one officer and "striking him in the forehead" with the hotel room door.
As part of de Lesseps' plea deal, she'll reportedly have to complete 50 hours of community service and will need to attend two New York-based Alcoholics Anonymous meetings per week as part of her one-year probation (via E! News). She's also forbidden from drinking alcohol and using drugs, and she'll need to submit to random testing to confirm her sobriety.
According to TMZ, de Lesseps also had to write a letter to the cop she hit, apologizing for her actions.
Since her arrest, de Lesseps has appeared to have worked on herself. She entered rehab after she was taken into custody in December 2017 and later again in July 2018, after her ex-husband and two children filed a lawsuit against her (via People).
She's also been performing in sold-out cabaret shows called #CountessAndFriends at Manhattan's Feinstein's/54 Below club, as shared by The Daily Dish. "To know that the show was totally sold out and people are still trying to get tickets is a really great feeling," de Lesseps told The New York Times in February 2018. "That I get to come back and have something creative to sink my teeth into has been really helpful for me, because it's been a rocky road, the past two years."
We're glad to see that de Lesseps is continuing to clean up her act.