"I feel like it's a good year for me because I've gotten through some really difficult years in the past and I feel like I'm in a good place, I'm back in the driver's seat," Luann told E! News. "I'm feeling good. You know, it's been a rough go and so finally I feel like I'm feel like I'm kind of renewed and back to my old Lu."
"I decided that I would drink on occasion and drink responsibly," Luann explained to us. "And like I said, I'm in a different place. And so I feel like I'm in control. And so I take it day by day. You know, for the moment I haven't been drinking. So I just don't label it. I kind of am just taking it day by day and have said in the past that I'm drinking socially."
As previously reported, Luann was charged in January with the felony of resisting an officer with violence, as well as misdemeanor charges of trespassing and disorderly intoxication, stemming from her arrest in Palm Beach, Florida, on Christmas Eve. She was released on her own recognizance 10 hours later and pleaded not guilty on Dec. 29. Back in May, de Lesseps accepted a plea deal.
In July 2018, de Lesseps skipped on filming the Season 10 reunion of RHONY as she checked back into rehab. Andy Cohen addressed the matter on his Sirium XM radio show, Radio Andy Live. “[Luann is] making the decision that is healthy for herself and you can do nothing but support that,” Andy said, according to Us Weekly. “She’s been through it. We send our love to Luann and support our decision.”
A Bravo spokesperson also 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 was also accused of violating her probation twice — once by not providing sufficient documentation of completed AA meetings, and by failing an alcohol test in late April, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE courtesy via the Florida Department of Corrections.
The docs stated that de Lesseps “admitted to drinking 2 glasses of mimosas after a performance she had in Chicago” after she failed an alcohol test by a New York Probation Officer on April 21.
In response, the Bravo reality star was “offered to immediately enroll in outpatient treatment and she declined due to her touring schedule,” the documents said. “The subject was also given the option to be fitted with an alcohol ankle monitoring device in which she declined stated that it is too intrusive.”
The documents also note that the cabaret performer had previously violated her probation by failing “to provide sufficient documentation of completed AA meetings” to her West Palm Beach-based probation officer. According to the papers, de Lesseps had only provided documentation from five meetings despite being ordered to go to two per week.
“It appears to affiant that the subject is not serious about her sobriety of the orders of the court,” according to the documents. “In order to effectively address [her] current relapse, de Lesseps has to be ‘available’ to participate.”
According to court documents obtained by The Blast, de Lesseps admitted to violating her probation, and the judge added new terms to her probation. The Bravo reality star had to call into weekly counseling sessions, attend monthly psychiatric sessions, and keep a breathalyzer in her car.
“These reports are false,” she told PEOPLE in a statement, referring to reports that she would return to jail. “I’m glad the judge was understanding once made aware of the evidence provided and I was then released. I am now looking forward to completing my remaining few months of probation. I want to put this behind me and move forward with my life.”
de Lesseps ended her probation in August 2019. The New York City Department of Probation confirmed the news to Radar Online. “The maximum expiration date of Luann de Lesseps’ probation period expires today, August 28, 2019,” the statement said. “The New York City Department of Probation will inform Florida as legally required.”
Photo Credit: Bravo
