Luann de Lesseps is supporting Andy Cohen and Bravo in the wake of Leah McSweeney’s bombshell lawsuit against the network.
“Nobody is forced to do anything on the show,” de Lesseps, 58, told Us Weekly exclusively while promoting her partnership with Dr. Daryl Gioffre’s Acid-Kicking Alcohol Alkalize. ‘If you talk about drinking … I’ve been sober on the show a couple of seasons.”
De Lesseps added that the network “supported” her not drinking on the show. (The reality star’s sobriety journey was a large part of her RHONY story line.)
“Bravo has always been very supportive of my sobriety in and out of sobriety,” she continued. “So, like I said, everybody has their experience. It’s never been my experience, nor has it been a lot of the Housewives experiences.”
De Lesseps appeared on the first 13 seasons of The Real Housewives of New York City. Since the series got a reboot, she and Sonja Morgan have gotten their own show, Luann & Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake. De Lesseps has also appeared on two seasons of The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip.
McSweeney — who appeared alongside de Lesseps on RHONY seasons 12 and 13 — sued Cohen and Bravo, claiming that they exploited her struggles with alcoholism to boost ratings. She further alleged that Cohen “engaged in cocaine use” with various Real Housewives franchise stars. Allegations which Cohen has since denied.
“That is not an Andy’s character,” de Lesseps told Us. “I know Andy, I’ve known him for years and it’s not in his character.”
De Lesseps’ confirmed that she and Cohen have a “very professional relationship” overall.
Lawsuit aside, the Bravo star also offered Us an update on where her sobriety stands.
“I drink on occasion,” she explained. “That’s how I am in a different place with that now. God knows I’ve been through it and I’m in a good place with it now. So yeah, that’s my journey.”
Another part of her current health journey is Dr. Daryl Gioffre’s Acid-Kicking Alcohol Alkalizer — which she uses while hitting the road on her Countess Cabaret Tour.
“I suffer with acidity, so I need things that are going to keep my body … basic,” she admits, offering some helpful hints for fans.
“I put it in my coffee every morning, [it] takes the acidity out of coffee. And it tastes like chocolate, so I can’t live without it,” de Lesseps explained. “If you want to drink wine or any alcohol, you put five or six drops and it takes the acidity out of alcohol.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
