According to a source, Luann's recent relapse was caused by the lawsuit filed against her by her own children and ex-husband, who claim in court documents she broke a stipulation in her 2009 divorce settlement by failing to create a trust for Noel de Lesseps and Victoria de Lesseps.
"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," the source told E! News. "She definitely thought she could handle incorporating alcohol back into her life casually, but eventually spiraled out of control."
The insider reveals that de Lesseps is expected to remain in rehab for at least 30 days, and "nobody has seen or heard from her" since she checked herself in.
Luann has full support of her loved ones and Real Housewives family, who the source says are "very supportive" and have "encouraged her to stay as long as possible to get the help she needs."
"All of her RHONY castmates missed her today during the taping but knew that this was for the best," explains the source. "All of the ladies are very concerned and hopes that she will take this serious and get her health back on track. Everyone is rooting for her."
As previously reported, Andy Cohen showed his support for de Lesseps after checking herself back to rehab. “[Luann is] making the decision that is healthy for herself and you can do nothing but support that,” Andy said on his Sirium XM radio show, Radio Andy Live, according to Us Weekly. “She’s been through it. We send our love to Luann and support our decision.”
A Bravo spokesperson confirmed Luann's return to rehab: “Bravo supports Luann’s decision to focus on her health. She is part of the Bravo family and we continue to stand by her as she copes with this challenging situation. At this time, we hope everyone will respect her privacy.”
Luann's co-star Bethenny Frankel has also shown her support. The Skinnygirl mogul, whom Luann authorized to speak on her behalf, also spoke about her friend to 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,” Bethenny said. “Luann is now surrounded by a core group of people who truly have her best interests at heart and who are working to make sure she gets the help she needs.”
Luann previously spent 21 days at an alcohol treatment center in January following her arrest on charges of battery on an officer, disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest with violence, and crimes against a person in Palm Beach on December 24, 2017. She has since agreed to enter a plea to a lesser misdemeanor charge. Luann is expected to plead guilty in absentia, and the adjudication will be withheld at her next court date on July 25.
Photo Credit: Bravo
