Luann de Lesseps is an American television personality, model, author, and singer. In 1993, she married French entrepreneur and aristocrat Count Alexandre de Lesseps; they divorced in 2009 but she retained the courtesy title "countess" until her remarriage in 2016. In 2008, de Lesseps came to prominence after being cast in the reality television series The Real Housewives of New York City, which documents the lives of several women residing in New York City. Luann began headlining "Countess and Friends," a cabaret show of her own making, in 2018. Born LuAnn Nadeau, she was raised in Berlin, Connecticut, where she grew up with her six siblings, and where her father owned a construction company.[4][6] She has said her father is of Algonquin and French descent and that her mother is French Canadian. De Lesseps was formerly a licensed practical nurse in Connecticut, as well as a Wilhelmina model. She is one of the main cast members on Bravo's reality series The Real Housewives of New York City. In season 6 she was demoted to a recurring "Friend of the Housewives" role due to not living in New York City at the time of filming. In April 2015, it was confirmed that de Lesseps would be returning as a main cast member for the show's seventh season. She has been considered a favorite among fans with some calling her “one of the best housewives of all time.” In February 2011, de Lesseps guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, in the episode "Bully", playing a socialite who makes a gruesome discovery. De Lesseps wrote a book, Class with the Countess: How to Live with Elegance and Flair (published by Gotham Books) released April 16, 2009, and released her first record, "Money Can't Buy You Class" (through Ultra Records), on May 25, 2010. She released her second single, "Chic C'est la Vie" in June 2011. She released a third single, "Girl Code", on July 6, 2015. In June 2019, De Lesseps released her fourth single, "Feeling Jovani". In September 2020, she released her fifth single, "Viva La Diva", with Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Desmond Child. In February 2017, de Lesseps played a role in the filmed Maternal Secrets in Bermuda. In February 2018, de Lesseps headlined her own cabaret show, called Countess And Friends, at Feinstein's/54 Below in Midtown Manhattan. The show features de Lesseps singing songs alluding to her life as a countess and reality-tv star, with appearances from celebrity friends like Rachel Dratch and Housewives co-star Sonja Morgan. In August 2018 de Lesseps announced that she was taking the show on tour, with engagements scheduled in Long Island and New Jersey. Luann de Lesseps has been a guest on the show of Monét X Change. de Lesseps will star in The Real Housewives All-Stars a spin-off featuring various women from The Real Housewives franchise, that is set to premiere on Peacock.