Why Luann De Lesseps Got Sued By Her Ex-Husband Count Alexandre De Lesseps

While we never saw Count Alexandre de Lesseps on "The Real Housewives of New York City," he was a constant fixture on the show in the early years, thanks to Luann de Lesseps never letting anyone forget she was a countess. Viewers have never forgotten how appalled she was when Bethenny Frankel introduced her to a cab driver as "Luann" instead of "Mrs. de Lesseps." 

Despite Count Alexandre's absence from "RHONY," the "Feeling Jovani" singer made it seem all was well between her and her globe-trotting husband, but in 2009, Page Six reported that the noble couple had split. "[Luann] got wind he was seeing somebody and he didn't answer her when she called. He finally sent her an e-mail saying he was with an Ethiopian woman in Geneva and he was serious with her," a source revealed, adding that their primary concern was their two children, Victoria de Lesseps and Noel de Lesseps.

Fans of "RHONY" saw Luann move on with her life after her divorce from Count Alexandre and she and her kids split their time between their New York City apartment and Hamptons house. Things seemed amicable between the former married couple but years later, a breach in their divorce agreement caused a legal matter to arise.

Money can't buy you class but it can buy you a civil lawsuit. In 2018, Luann de Lesseps found herself in a legal jam when her ex-husband Count Alexandre de Lesseps, along with their two children Victoria de Lesseps and Noel de Lesseps, slapped her with a lawsuit, per People. According to the publication, Luann was awarded their Hamptons home during her divorce from Count Alexandre and was supposed to create a trust for their kids but failed to do so. She sold the home in 2014 for $8 million and purchased another nearby Hamptons home for $3.1, again without creating a trust for her two kids. The lawsuit came after Luann wanted to sell the new home and buy a "luxury home in Upstate New York" without dividing the interests between her two children.

The lawsuit was eventually dropped, with no official declaration as to why. However, Luann shared on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," a few months later, "Everything is great with the kids. You know, it was a big hiccup about me wanting to get a house upstate and not being in the Hamptons, so I decided to keep the Hamptons home and I'm getting a house upstate in any case. So it all worked out. We had Labor Day together. It was fantastic. So everything's great." Despite her positive outlook, Luann later revealed that the lawsuit spurred her to spiral into a place she had worked so hard to get out of.

A year prior to getting sued, Luann de Lesseps had another scrap with the law. On December 24, 2017, Luann was charged with orderly intoxication, battery on an officer, and resisting arrest, People reported. She later pleaded guilty and was ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and abstain from illegal drugs and alcohol. After failing an alcohol test, the "RHONY" star checked herself into rehab and committed herself to staying sober.

Unfortunately, the lawsuit brought on by Count Alexandre de Lesseps, Victoria de Lesseps, and Noel de Lesseps caused Luann to fall off the wagon. "I found out about this whole story with the ex-count that I was being sued in the press. That was devastating. I felt betrayed," the reality star shared on "The Megyn Kelly Show" (via E! News). Luann proceeded to reveal that she and a friend shared a couple of drinks, which turned into "two or three bottles of rosé" and many beers. "I can't have one drink. I don't know when to stop," she admitted.

Following the bender, Luann checked herself into rehab for the second time and missed the "RHONY" Season 10 reunion. Since then, she made headlines again when she got kicked out of an NYC piano bar in 2022 after acting drunkenly belligerent and began her sobriety journey again. "I don't wanna be in that position anymore. I don't wanna feel that shame and blame the next day. It's just not worth it," she shared with Jeff Lewis.