RHONY star LuAnn de Lesseps says she ‘felt in a good place’ mentally with drinking again after she had to remain sober for probation terms
LuAnn de Lesseps says she’s comfortable with an occasional drink.
The 55-year-old reality star, speaking with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live on Thursday, was asked about why she began drinking again last fall after undergoing court-ordered period of sobriety.
‘I had to be sober because I was on probation if I had a drink, I could go to jail – that’s a heavy thing to live with,’ the Real Housewives of New York City personality said.
Her take: LuAnn de Lesseps, 55, told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live on Thursday that she’s comfortable with her decision to drink again, and plans to do it in moderation
The 5ft10 Bravo star called the mandated sobriety ‘one of the hardest things [she’s] ever had to go through,’ noting that she had a new clarity as she moved forward in her life when the probation terms expired on August 28, 2019.
‘When I got through to the other side, I really had a choice myself, to decide if I wanted to drink or not and I felt in a good place, and I felt like I was back in the driver seat,’ she said.
She added, ‘Now I don’t have anybody watching over my shoulder except for me and I got through it, and thank God.’
The issue came up after she was seen drinking on an episode of The Real Housewives of New York City that aired this past season, showing her consuming vodka for the first time since her probation ended.
Tough question: She was asked about why she began drinking again last fall after undergoing a court-ordered period of sobriety
Growth: The RHONY star said, ‘I felt like I was back in the driver seat’ about her drinking habit
Cameras rolled as it happened at a September 17, 2019 benefit at STOMP Out Bullying, which came a few weeks after her probation ended.
After she took a sip, she said, ‘Oh it tastes so good, Oh that’s good! To be able to have a sip of vodka and not get arrested is huge. I don’t have to make excuses. I’m a grown woman and I’m ready. It’s over! I had a sip of vodka!’
The reality star and socialite later explained on the show the tempting circumstances that tend to push alcohol to the forefront.
![Tested: The 5ft10 Bravo star told Andy Cohen that the mandated sobriety 'one of the hardest things [she's] ever had to go through](https://i0.wp.com/i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/08/07/04/31663878-8602905-image-a-19_1596772480211.jpg?resize=634%2C357&ssl=1)
Tested: The 5ft10 Bravo star told Andy Cohen that the mandated sobriety ‘one of the hardest things [she’s] ever had to go through
Staying safe: The mother-of-two has been quarantining at her home in the Hamptons in New York amid the past five months of the COVID-19 pandemic
‘I’m with the girls a lot and they like to drink, and sometimes I get very tempted,’ she said. ‘I’ve kind of made a promise to myself that I’m not drinking now ’cause I’ve just finished my probation. I’m not making a decision either way.
‘But I keep going back and forth in my mind. Can I go back to having some wine with dinner? You know, it’s been such a part of my life for a long time.’
Her probation was linked to her December 2017 arrest in Palm Beach, Florida in connection with battery, trespassing and disorderly intoxication. She twice attended rehab on the wake of the incident.
The mother-of-two, to daughter Victoria, 26, and son Noel, has been quarantining at her home in the Hamptons in New York amid the past five months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Real Housewives of New York City can be seen on Bravo Thursdays at 9/8c.