Luann de Lesseps Sends Her Well-Wishes to Bethenny Frankel but Says Show 'Goes on' Without Her
Luann de Lesseps is wishing Bethenny Frankel the best as she embarks on a new chapter of life following her exit from The Real Housewives of New York City.
During an appearance on PeopleTV’s Reality Check, de Lesseps, 54, revealed she hasn’t spoken to Frankel, 49, and that “I found out like the rest of the world that she wasn’t coming back to the show.”
“She didn’t let any of us know,” de Lesseps continued. “I thought that was kind of not very thoughtful after all of these years of working together that she would let us know before the rest of the world.”
When asked if she was relieved or happy over Frankel’s decision to leave the franchise, de Lesseps said, “I was all of the above.”
“I wish her well,” de Lesseps said. “We had a good run.”
“She’s off doing her own thing,” de Lesseps continued, adding, “The show must go on, and it goes on very well without her.”
As for how the other women of RHONY reacted to Frankel’s news, de Lesseps said, “We were shocked, surprised and somewhat relieved.”
Cindy Ord/Getty Images Luann de Lesseps and Bethenny Frankel
Taking Frankel’s spot is newcomer Leah McSweeney.
“We got along right away,” de Lesseps said of the new housewife. However, she revealed, “I don’t think that is the case for many of the women in the beginning.”
De Lesseps shared that the upcoming season of RHONY is the best thus far.
“We all have big personalities and lives in New York, and I feel New York City is another housewife. Either you lived in New York and you miss it, or you always dreamed of living in New York and you kind of get to live vicariously through us and I feel that’s exciting to watch,” de Lesseps added.
Last month, Frankel shared that after multiple seasons of RHONY, Frankel became emotionally exhausted.
“Well, it’s exhausting and emotional. People across the franchise will tell you they develop anxiety, and it’s very stressful,” Frankel, 49, told Variety of her time on the Bravo series. “And that’s not how I am in the relationships that I’ve cultivated over the years.”
Bethenny Frankel and Luann de Lesseps
“My ex Dennis used to say, ‘If someone said what that person said to you, I would never speak to them again as long as I live,’” she recalled of her late ex, Dennis Shields. “You’re in a show environment, and it’s taxing. But sometimes what’s happening emotionally on the screen is also a result of exhaustion.”
Frankel was part of the debut cast of RHONY, helping launch the show into a massive success. At the end of season 3, she exited to lead a Bravo spinoff, Bethenny Getting Married (later titled Bethenny Ever After). She went on to host a self-titled talk show, Bethenny, from 2012 to 2014 before returning to RHONY from seasons 7 through 11.
The Real Housewives of New York City premieres on Thursday, April 2 on Bravo.
