Real Housewives of New York star Luann de Lesseps has accused Bethenny Frankel of ‘going after the hand that fed’ her over her allegations that Bravo exploited cast members and silenced them through non-disclosure agreements.
Luann, 58, and Bethenny, 52, starred alongside one another on the much-loved reality TV show which aired on the network – but the latter quit the franchise in August 2019.
She has since made calls for a reality star union, firing off numerous letters to Bravo and parent company NBC Universal, accusing them of alleged mistreatment of cast members.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Luann said she ‘only ever had positive experiences’ working on RHONY, but ‘understands’ Bethenny’s fight.
Asked if she agrees with calls for a ‘systematic change’ in reality television, she replied: ‘Listen, I’ve only had a good experience in my years on the show.
Real Housewives of New York star Luann de Lesseps has weighed in on Bethenny Frankel ‘s criticism of Bravo and parent company NBC Universal
Luann, pictured here with Bethenny in 2015, claimed her former co-star is ‘going after the hand that fed’ her
Bethenny and Luann pictured in 2008, the same year the first season of RHONY was released
‘I’m sure there’s times where you go, ‘Oh I wish that wasn’t edited like that’, or whatever, but for me it’s been a positive experience.
‘Now, I know for some people it is not and so I don’t think what she’s doing is wrong, I just think that by suing and all of that, you’re going after the hand that fed you and that made you a star.’
Luann, continued: ‘I can imagine, like I said, that there are some people that don’t have good experiences now…. It’s never been mine, so I can’t speak to that. But I understand what she’s trying to do, but I’m not I’m not taking any sides.
‘I mean, my livelihood has been with NBC and I’ve only ever had good experiences and continue to.’
Earlier this year Bethenny called for a ‘reality TV reckoning’ as she encouraged other reality stars to unionize amid the SAG and WGA strikes, arguing that they should receive residual-like payments and no longer be exploited by networks and steamers.
‘Reality television exploits affairs, bankruptcy, falling off the wagon, not really having what you say you have, something inappropriate, risking cancellation every single time the camera goes on,’ she said at the time.
Luann shut down accusations that show bosses forced her to do anything against her will, in particular drinking.
The actress, who has talked publicly about her alcoholism, said: ‘Listen, you know, I have actually had a situation on the show, and I just removed myself I’m like, ‘I’m out’. I don’t feel comfortable. This is uncomfortable to me. And certainly, and you know, I feel like people have to do what they feel they need to do. And you know, nobody’s ever forced me to drink…
‘You know, for me, on the occasion, I’ve said,’ I’m going home’ or whatever, I just leave early, or I choose not to go so nobody forces you to do anything, it’s really up to you.
‘Nobody forces you to say something or causes you to not say something. A lot of people will always blame it on the editing and etc. But, you know, they can’t edit what you don’t give them.’
Earlier this week, Bethenny revealed she is not taking legal action against Bravo or NBC for its alleged ‘toxic environment’ on reality shows.
The mother-of-one clarified her stance after she recently vowed to fully expose the ‘systemic rot’ behind the scenes of the hit programs.
‘I have not hired lawyers nor am I suing,’ she wrote on Instagram. ‘I have directed wronged talent and production members legal representation and am fighting for systematic change in a damaged institution. This is not only a reckoning within an industry but one within myself…’
Bethenny began the lengthy statement by reflecting on her time on the popular franchise, claiming she succeeded by creating ‘conflict and judgment’ with her female costars that she ‘pretended to know’.
She said that she had now spent time with the women outside of production, grew to appreciate them and wondered if the ‘toxic environment designed for ratings’ had affected their relationships at the start of filming.
The two housewives had their fair share of heated moments on the popular reality TV show
Bethenny and Luann no longer appear to be close friends following their time on RHONY
Luann and her co-stars Ramona Singer, Dorinda Medley, Sonja Morgan, Kelly Bensimon, and Kristen Taekman have reunited for Ultimate Girls Trip
Luann spends time with her former co-stars and told DailyMail.com that she’ll be hanging out with Dorinda, Medley, Ramona Singer, and Kelly Bensimon next week.
‘I see the girls quite often. Dorinda and I talk all the time, I was on her radio show this morning, talking about my cabaret show. So yeah, we see each other a lot and you’ll see us all together on an OG RHONY trip which I think people are really gonna love,’ she added, referring to the upcoming season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, which will air in December.
One person who won’t be on the trip to ‘Scary Island’ is Bethenny, who hit back at Luann a few months ago after the Countess said she’d prefer to never see Bethenny again.
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight in July, Luann said that that Bethenny and Carole Radziwill are the two RHONY alums she doesn’t need to see again.
‘Carole, you know, she trashed our show. Bethenny trashed our show. I don’t even want to give her air time,’ Luann said at the time.
She also took a swipe at Bethenny during an episode of Page Six’s Virtual Reali-Tea podcast and joked that she would’ve made her ‘walk the plank’ if she had joined them in St. Barts for the Ultimate Girls’ Trip.
‘We could always use the extra ratings but we didn’t have to have that,’ Luanna said, and added: ‘This was a very in-sync group. It was a perfect group for me.’
Bethenny was having none of it though, and when asked by a fan what she made of Luann’s comments about never seeing her again, she replied: ‘Feels fairly likely since [sic] my life isn’t a cabaret.’
Bethenny and Luann during happier times on Real Housewives of New York City
Luann is loving life and is currently on tour with her show Countess Cabaret
Bethenny recently said she is not taking legal action against Bravo or its parent company NBC for its alleged ‘toxic environment’ on reality shows
Bethenny’s response referred to a 2019 screaming match between herself and mother-of-two Luann, where she yelled ‘life is not a cabaret!’ during their argument.
Luann is currently busy on tour with her very own show, Countess Cabaret, and will perform in Washington, D.C. on October 7, and then head to New Orleans, Houston and Chicago in November, before performing in New York the week before Christmas.
However, she has found a bit of time to watch season 14 of RHONY, which features a brand new cast including Jenna Lyons, Sai De Silva, and Erin Lichy.
When asked if she or any of the other original cast had tuned in, Luann revealed: ‘Well, I’m sure some of them have. I’ve caught a few episodes and I think it’s well done.
‘You know, they’re new and you’ve got to get used to them, so you’ve got to give them time, but I like them. I have my choice people, but we’re not going to get into that!’
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