Getty Luann de Lesseps
Luann de Lesseps’ new career as a cabaret star has been a frequent, and sometimes contentious, topic of conversation on the Real Housewives of New York City. She has performed the first installment of the show, Countess and Friends, all over the country. She had plans to debut the next installment, Marry, F**k, Kill, in the spring of 2020.
But the curtain has come down on her popular stage show because of the coronavirus pandemic. All of de Lesseps’ scheduled performances have been postponed until further notice due to social distancing measures to slow the outbreak.
The Countess Luann website lists shows that had been scheduled for venues in New York, California, Massachusetts, Illinois, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. and notes they will all be rescheduled. According to Ticketmaster, at least two shows in Ohio and Illinois have been canceled and ticketholders were promised refunds.
De Lesseps posted a video to Instagram on March 21 reassuring fans that her tour would eventually pick back up and that she would keep audiences updated once new dates could be announced. She told her followers, “Be strong, stay safe and we’re all in this together.”
Here’s what you need to know.
Luann de Lesseps Is Still a Licensed Nurse & Has Advocated For Nurses Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic
Luann de Lesseps cannot sing on stages for the time being, but she is using her social media platform to advocate for healthy hygiene amid the coronavirus outbreak. On March 17, she posted a video explaining how best to thoroughly wash your hands and mentioned that she was qualified to share these tips because she is a nurse.
According to the New York Office of Professions’ official database, de Lesseps obtained her practical nursing license in 1988 and it is still active. De Lesseps’ New York license expires in March 2022.
Although it has been many years since de Lesseps officially worked as a nurse, she has been demonstrating her solidarity with the health care professionals on the front lines of the epidemic. She posted on social media that she feels student loan debt should be “wiped clean after this” for all health care professionals. On April 4, de Lesseps shared a video of drivers honking for doctors and nurses outside of a hospital and wrote on Instagram, “Healthcare workers are the true heroes.”
Luann de Lesseps Is Quarantined With Her Daughter Outside of New York City
The stay-at-home order in New York state took effect on March 22. Luann de Lesseps originally decamped to her home in Sag Harbor, Long Island, as the coronavirus hit New York City hard. She shared on Instagram that she was isolated alongside her daughter, Victoria, whom she described as her “quarantine bff.”
On April 8, de Lesseps shared she had decided to leave Long Island and relocated to her home in Kingston, New York. She posted a video of her living room at the upstate New York house as soothing music played in the background.
Since her cabaret show was put on hold, de Lesseps has found other ways to spend her time. She has been posting cooking videos and promotional messages about the current season of RHONY on her social media pages.
Luann de Lesseps’ Cabaret Show Was Frequently Discussed On RHONY as Castmembers Accused Her Of Being Egotistical About Her Success
Luann de Lesseps launched her first cabaret show, Countess and Friends, in 2017. The show became a hit with audiences at the Feinstein’s/54 Below club in New York City, leading to a national tour. She then put on a holiday special called A Very Countess Christmas in December 2019.
De Lesseps has said her next full show, Marry, F**k, Kill, has a different vibe compared to Countess and Friends. “It’s really about sex, men, and relationships,” she told People in January 2020. “There will obviously be a lot of Housewives stories, because I’m always in trouble with men on the show somehow. I mean, either I’m getting married, divorced, or arrested! So we have a lot of fun with that and dive in deep.”
The Countess’ new career as a cabaret star did not always sit well with her RHONY cast members. During seasons 10 and 11, the other housewives spoke about how they felt the cabaret show had made de Lesseps cockier.
Bethenny Frankel and Dorinda Medley mentioned during the season 10 reunion that they felt the success of the cabaret show had gone to de Lesseps’ head. Medley said de Lesseps had confused “fame with infamy” following de Lesseps’ arrest in December 2017. Bravo reported the housewives also expressed concern about whether it was healthy for de Lesseps to be around alcohol at her shows while she was on probation and prohibited from drinking. De Lesseps’ probation has since ended.
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