Luann de Lesseps Reveals What Triggered Her Relapse: ‘I Felt Betrayed’

Real Housewives of New York City star Luann de Lesseps has revealed what triggered her relapse earlier this year, saying it happened because she “felt betrayed” by her family.

de Lesseps has sought treatment for alcohol issues twice within the last year, with the most recent stint coming shortly after it was reported that her ex husband, Count Alexandre de Lesseps, and her kids — Victoria and Noel — were suing her for $8 million over the sale of a home.

According to PEOPLE, the lawsuit stems from what they say is stipulation breach in her divorce settlement. While speaking to Megyn Kelly, de Lesseps said she just “wanted to change” her life.

“I wanted to move upstate New York and I found a beautiful home,” she explained. “I have this beautiful house in the Hamptons, as a lot of people know, and I wanted to sell that to get this property up there and the children weren’t happy about that because it’s their home and I understand that.”

“But I just wanted to move. I needed more privacy and a lot of people know where I am and I just needed a fresh start,” she added. “But the kids were not happy with it and the ex-husband came to visit and he decided to block me and sue me.”

“And I’m so nice, I let him stay at my house because we have a great relationship. And we still do,” de Lesseps continued. “I mean, I understand why he did it because I was really going big up there, upstate, with a really big property. Since then, I’ve decided to take something smaller and keep my home for the children because I love them.”

She also revealed that she was caught off guard by the lawsuit, as she found out about it in the press like everyone else.

“So that was devastating. I felt betrayed, I felt so hurt by that because I really wanted to move on and I really wanted to flip this house and get the other one,” she said. “I had my heart set on that house. I was devastated, and so I lost it.”

It was at this point that the Real Housewives star confesses she “fell off the wagon.”

“I had a girlfriend with me and she goes, ‘I love making watermelon martinis’ and I said, ‘I’m in.’ I used to drink those at Bungalow 8 years ago and I love them,” de Lesseps admitted. “Anyway, I had two or three of those and then I had I think two bottles of rosé by myself. And then I had probably a six-pack of beer or something. I was dancing in my kitchen with a bikini on and a Panama hat. … I don’t know when to stop.”

While she hit a low point and had to get back into rehab, de Lesseps now says that she is “30 days sober” and feels “great.”