Luann de Lesseps Says ‘RHONY’ Is ‘Better Than Ever’ Without Bethenny: It Was ‘Always About’ Her 

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The countess has spoken! In between dazzling in her cabaret show at the Borgata, Luann de Lesseps made time to chat with HollywoodLife about the upcoming Bethenny Frankel-less season of ‘RHONY’. And, she says it’s time for others to shine!

Out with the old and in with the new! Luann de Lesseps says season 12 of The Real Housewives of New York will be like a breath of fresh air after Bethenny Frankel‘s exit, and the addition of newcomer Leah McSweeney. “It’s such a great season,” Luann said ahead of her festive cabaret Christmas show, Countess and Friends at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa on December 7. The Bravo star, who kicks off her new cabaret show, F, Marry Kill in January, explained how this coming season will allow her and the rest of the women — Tinsley Mortimer, Ramona Singer, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan and Leah — to have more breathing room since the cast shakeup.

“We all get to show ourselves and have more time to talk about our own life and our own stories, and it’s not always about Bethenny [now],” Luann admitted. “So it’s just great, because the show is fabulous and I can’t wait for everybody to see the new season. I got to tell you, it’s better than ever!”

It wouldn’t be RHONY without the drama. — Something Luann said there’s no shortage of. “Obviously, there’s always drama. When you have that many women together there’s bound to be drama,” she admitted, revealing that “there’s shifts in alliances” in season 12, slated to premiere in early 2020.

As for where she stands with certain housewives who she didn’t exactly see eye to eye with last season? Luann said things have completely changed. “I’m good with Dorinda, so you’re going to see that relationship blossom.
And then, even with Ramona, you’re going to see a different relationship between Ramona and I, because we’ve always been not on the same page,” she teased. “Ramona’s Ramona. She’s a tough one. So, you’re just going to see a lot more relationships, drama, fun, and you’re going to get to know the new housewife.”

Luann de Lesseps on stage at her Cabaret Christmas Show at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. (Photo credit: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa)

Luann went on to explain that viewers will see her “getting through my craziness that happened and then continuing to grow from it.” The “Money Can’t Buy You Class” crooner was talking about her December 2017 arrest in Palm Beach, which she just completed her probation for this past August. Now, she’s working with The Fortune Society to help those who’ve been incarcerated get their lives back on track.

“They help people who have been incarcerated build their lives back, because if they can’t get a job, they don’t have a place to live, they have no money. Who’s going to employ them?”, Luann explained. “So I just have been working with them, and I just can’t say enough good things about them and how fabulous they are.”

Luann’s cabaret, Countess and Friends will celebrate two years of touring in February. “It’s incredible, and I didn’t expect it to be as big as it became. — I was just doing me,” she gushed before thanking Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa for giving her the stage where it all started. “And for people to love the show and resonate with it so much has just been so exciting, and it just has given me such a great creative outlet… It’s old school entertainment. It’s glamorous. I brought back something that was missing because there was a void for a show like this,” she said. Luann’s new song with Desmond Child, “Viva La Diva,” will debut in the New Year on her new show, F, Marry, Kill.