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For years, Luann de Lesseps has lived unapologetically both on and off screen. From failed marriages and legal woes to public triumphs, the “Real Housewives of New York City” alum has overcome adversity in more ways than one.
Now, at 60, the former Countess is offering empathy and words of wisdom to Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, as she navigates her own public turmoil.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, de Lesseps — who’s gearing up for a lineup of cabaret shows during the holiday season — opened up about how she managed to survive her own public challenges and shared some sound guidance on how Ferguson can stay grounded amid renewed scrutiny over ex-husband Prince Andrew’s ties to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
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Former Countess Luann de Lesseps offers words of wisdom to Sarah Ferguson about how to navigate public scrutiny. (Getty Images)
“I feel for her, and I feel for the daughters as well. It’s a very hard thing to go through, and it’s hold your head high because there’s going to be talk, there’s going to be, it’s not pretty,” she said. “I mean, and [Prince Andrew] was not honest about it. And I think to have the man that was in your life, the father of your children, not be honest about something like that, is very painful.”
Andrew has faced multiple sexual assault allegations amid his association with Epstein.
“And I think they’re going through a major crisis in their lives, and it’s really about holding your head high and knowing that it’s not their fault,” de Lesseps said of Ferguson, who publicly condemned Epstein after she was made aware of the allegations in 2011. “What happened with [Andrew] is not their fault. I mean, this is all happening behind their backs. So I can relate because I had a cheating scandal in my life. And so it’s difficult to go through, especially in the public eye … It’s hard to hold your head high during a crisis, but you have to.”
“It’s like a death in a certain way. It’s a grieving process. So it takes time to get to the point where you can laugh about it,” she added. “But I think until you get there, you can’t blame it on yourself. It’s really not your fault. It’s his fault. And as difficult as it is, you can’t blame yourself for something like that. It’s a journey.”
De Lesseps finds creativity through her cabaret shows. (Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
De Lesseps knows all too well about overcoming scandal.
The reality TV star married Count Alexandre de Lesseps — a member of French nobility — in 1993, but divorced in 2009 after 16 years of marriage. In 2016, she married Tom D’Agostino, but divorced eight months later after he was caught cheating. A few months later, de Lesseps was arrested and charged with disorderly intoxication, battery on an officer/firefighter/EMT, resisting arrest with violence and threatening a public servant.
“I want to offer my sincere apologies to anyone I might have offended with my behavior. I am committed to a transformative and hopeful 2018,” de Lesseps said in a statement to People magazine at the time.
Over the past seven years, however, de Lesseps has been open about her struggles, and has found a creative way to express herself and work through her ups and downs.
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“When I started cabaret eight years ago now, I didn’t know it would be successful at all. It was very scary because not only was it my first cabaret, but it was being filmed for the ‘Housewives’ as well, no pressure there. And so that people really loved it and that I’m able to keep on doing my shows. They’re not always the same because life is a cabaret, and it’s constantly changing.”
The former Countess said she had no idea how successful her cabaret career would become. (Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
“To be able to still have a career at 60, because I turned 60 this year and I’m living my best life,” she continued. “And I thought to myself yesterday, I was like, I get to be creative. I get to do what I want to do … my show is really, it’s pop culture meets, cabaret meets comedy, meets a fashion show because I do a lot of changes. I love to bring a lot of glamour, and my fans love that, and it is a great reason for them to get dressed, put on their best sequins, their statement necklaces, and come out and see my show. And that’s a huge nod to what I do.”
De Lesseps says authenticity and vulnerability are what make her shows so successful — and what helps her navigate the ebbs and flows.
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“I run through iconic moments in my show, talk about what happens behind the scenes, talk about what’s going on in my life,” she said. “And that’s where my show is always different because my life is ever-changing and ever-evolving like everybody else’s. And I’ve been through 13 years of ‘Housewives’ and people have seen me get divorced and married again and divorced again and dates.”
WATCH: FORMER COUNTESS LUANN DE LESSEPS TELLS SARAH FERGUSON HOW TO SURVIVE EPSTEIN SCANDAL
“My life is out there, and I think that the camera doesn’t lie. I think if you’re not authentic and you’re not really living your real life, I think people can really see that.”
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“I just think that we have to live with our inner diva … I think it’s about being happy with who you are. I think that’s really where it starts. And when you’re happy that energy permeates. So when I do my shows, I’m really spreading joy and inspiration for women, and I want them to know that at any age you can be living your best life. It’s not about the number. It’s really about how you feel about yourself and the energy that you put out there. And I think that’s very important.”
The 60-year-old has dealt with her share of scrutiny, but has learned to brush it off. ( Sophy Holland/Bravo)
Despite her fresh outlook on life, de Lesseps said it took time and experience to get to this point in her life.
WATCH: LUANNA DE LESSEPS IS LIVING HER ‘BEST LIFE’ AT 60, FUELED BY ENDLESS CABARET SHOWS THAT IGNITE HER CREATIVITY
“Not everybody’s going to love you. There’s a lot of negative people out there who are behind their social media and who are not living their best lives, obviously,” she said. So they have to pick on yours. And so how I roll is that I don’t let what people think of me affect me. And I always say I love who I want to, and I cry when I have to, which is true. So when somebody makes me feel uncomfortable or is a negative naysayer or a hater, I feel for them. I really put it off onto them. It’s really about them. It’s really not about me. So I protect myself in so many ways.”