RHONJ Cast Will Lose Money Over Reunion

Credit: Shutterstock/lev radin

Luann de Lesseps may not be on The Real Housewives of New York anymore, but she has quite a bit going on. If you follow her on social media, you’ll know that she’s been performing all over the world. Recently, the former RHONY star and current cabaret headliner sat down for an interview and discussed the lack of a RHONJ reunion and how it impacts the ladies of the cast. Plus, she lets us in on who inspired her Girl Code song.

As fans know, Luann gained the public’s attention in 2008 when RHONY first premiered. Since then, she’s made music, has a cabaret show, and says she has more TV projects in the works.

Luann recently sat down for the Behind the Velvet Rope podcast with David Yontef. She covered a wide range of topics, but one of the most current happens to be the insight she shared about the reunion. In particular, she says that there’s a bonus that the cast gets from showing up to film the reunion. However, she first talks about being surprised about the RHONJ conclusion being canceled.

Luann says, “Well, you know, I guess there was some sort of a reason that it didn’t happen, and I don’t know. I mean, it never happened in the past, so this is all new. I mean, I’m surprised. I’m really surprised. Yeah, I’m surprised. I mean I haven’t been watching Jersey, so I don’t know what’s going on, but it must be pretty heavy. “

David then asks Luann if she thinks Housewives not having reunions might become a new trend.

Lu answers by saying, “Maybe it’s a new trend. I don’t know. I don’t know, but you know it’s a chunk of change that they’re gonna miss.”

David then asks for clarification on if she means they get a bonus, and Luann says, “Of course.”

However, she goes on to say that perhaps not having a traditional reunion is for the best.

“But, you know, sometimes it’s better not to rehash. Sometimes it’s better not to rehash stuff if it’s that dark.”

The conversation then shifts a bit to RHONY, specifically about Carole Radziwill publicly responding to Andy Cohen identifying her as the unnamed source in the New York Magazine article. David says she seems interested in the franchise despite claiming not to be.

Luann agrees by saying, “Yeah yeah. I, you know, I don’t really follow what Carole’s doing, but yeah for somebody that doesn’t care about the show anymore, she seems to pretty much care.”

He then asks if her song Girl Code was about Carole.

She says, “Well, I would say it was more Heather [Thompson] that inspired that. She was the one really, she was the one that was really more vocal. Yeah, Carole was just kind of standing around.”

They then discuss Luann’s love life. She says she’s dating right now and that she doesn’t think she wants to get married again. As for what she’s looking for in a long-term partner, she says, “Well, you know, tall with a full head of hair and a big peepee and private plane.”

Regarding her being linked with Captain Jason Chambers, she wants to correct the narrative that she was interested in him.

Luann says, “No. He had an interest in me, darling. Let’s turn this around, okay?”

Regarding the upcoming season of RHONY and if she knows Rebecca Minkoff, Lu says, “You know what? I don’t. I don’t. I really don’t, but I heard she was on the show this season, so let’s see how they do.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Luann discussed Dorinda Medley joining the new season of Traitors and how she prepared for the show. She says, “She was like working out before she left and, you know, totally taking care of herself. So I think she went into that show in the best possible way.”