Luann de Lesseps is opening up about life after “The Real Housewives of New York City,” and according to the longtime Bravolebrity, leaving the franchise was both emotional and unexpectedly lucrative. In a new interview, de Lesseps, 60, revealed how her jump into cabaret not only helped her reinvent herself but also brought in a staggering seven-figure income.
Luann de Lesseps Says Cabaret ‘Saved My Life’ After RHONY ‘Death’
De Lesseps appeared on 13 seasons of RHONY before Bravo rebooted the series in 2023, leaving the original cast behind. She admitted that saying goodbye to the show was far from easy. “It was like a death, because it’s all I’d known for 13 years,” de Lesseps told Us Weekly. “A certain part of my life was over, and I wasn’t going to see my girls so that was really hard. And to be not appreciated for all the work we put in over the years to make the show huge, that was difficult.”
Still, de Lesseps believes Bravo missed an opportunity when the network launched the reboot. “In my mind, they should have just mixed the two casts — kept some of us, brought some newbies in and call it a day,” she said. “But it didn’t work out that way.”
Her cabaret career, however, more than filled the void. “Cabaret saved my life because I was making well into seven figures while I was doing the Housewives,” she revealed. When asked directly whether she earns a million dollars a year, Luann replied, “I’m keeping up with what I used to make, yes.”
The Countess Plans Next National Tour and Wows Fans on Reality Hot Seat
De Lesseps has no plans to slow down. She confirmed she is developing a 2026 “Love Tour,” teasing that it will spotlight the relationships that defined her years on television. “It will be all about my past loves,” she said, referencing familiar names like Harry Dubin and Tom D’Agostino Jr. “I’m always in trouble with a guy on the show.”
She also emphasized the importance of staying visible on TV. “I just feel like it’s very much important for me to stay relevant on TV, to support my Cabaret career. Without the Housewives, I don’t think I would have had a Cabaret career.”
Her continued star power was on full display on December 7 when she headlined the halftime show during Peacock’s “Reality Hot Seat” broadcast of the Texans–Chiefs game. Wearing a sparkling silver mini dress, Luann performed her holiday-themed number “What Do I Want for Christmas?” before delivering her signature message: “What do I want for Christmas? I want love… Love for everybody.”
She also dropped a fun surprise: “I did date an athlete before,” she teased. “Athletes are amazing. I mean, look at all the hard work they’re doing on the field.”
De Lesseps hyped the performance on Instagram ahead of the event, telling fans, “Touchdown, darling. Catch me in the Reality Hot Seat this Sunday for the halftime show on Peacock. Let’s have a little fun.”
