LuAnn de Lesseps
Encyclopedia
LuAnn de Lesseps, known as Countess LuAnn or The Countess (born May 17, 1965) is an American
television personality
, recording artist, and former fashion model best known for her appearances on the Bravo show The Real Housewives of New York City
. Her courtesy title comes from her previous marriage to Frenchman Count Alexandre de Lesseps, a descendant of Ferdinand de Lesseps
, the architect of the Suez Canal
.
descent and that her mother is French Canadian.
model.
She is one of the main cast members on Bravo's reality series, The Real Housewives of New York City
. Lesseps wrote a book, Class with the Countess: How to Live with Elegance and Flair (published by Gotham) 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" almost immediately thereafter, also in May 2010.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television personality
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
, recording artist, and former fashion model best known for her appearances on the Bravo show The Real Housewives of New York City
The Real Housewives of New York City
The Real Housewives of New York City is an American reality television program on the Bravo cable TV network, a spin-off of the Bravo series The Real Housewives of Orange County. New York is the second city featured in The Real Housewives of... franchise...
. Her courtesy title comes from her previous marriage to Frenchman Count Alexandre de Lesseps, a descendant of Ferdinand de Lesseps
Ferdinand de Lesseps
Ferdinand Marie, Vicomte de Lesseps, GCSI was the French developer of the Suez Canal, which joined the Mediterranean and Red Seas in 1869, and substantially reduced sailing distances and times between the West and the East.He attempted to repeat this success with an effort to build a sea-level...
, the architect of the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
.
Early life
She was born LuAnn Nadeau and grew up with six siblings in the small town of Berlin, Connecticut, where her father owned a construction company. She has said her father is of AlgonquianAlgonquian peoples
The Algonquian are one of the most populous and widespread North American native language groups, with tribes originally numbering in the hundreds. Today hundreds of thousands of individuals identify with various Algonquian peoples...
descent and that her mother is French Canadian.
Career
Lesseps was formerly a licensed vocational nurse's aide in Connecticut, as well as a WilhelminaWilhelmina Models
Wilhelmina Models is a modeling agency founded in 1967 by the model Wilhelmina Cooper and her husband Bruce Cooper in Manhattan Starting in 2010, Wilhelmina Models started a sub-brand called "Digital Empire Modeling" for new digital-era modeling talents....
model.
She is one of the main cast members on Bravo's reality series, The Real Housewives of New York City
The Real Housewives of New York City
The Real Housewives of New York City is an American reality television program on the Bravo cable TV network, a spin-off of the Bravo series The Real Housewives of Orange County. New York is the second city featured in The Real Housewives of... franchise...
. Lesseps wrote a book, Class with the Countess: How to Live with Elegance and Flair (published by Gotham) released April 16, 2009, and released her first record, "Money Can't Buy You Class" (through Ultra Records
Ultra Records
Ultra Records is an American independent electronic dance music record label. Ultra was formed in New York City in 1995 by former Polygram and Virgin Records executive Patrick Moxey, who is still currently the owner...
), on May 25, 2010. She released her second single, "Chic, C'est La Vie" almost immediately thereafter, also in May 2010.
Critical reception
The New York Post featured a negative online review of "Money Can't Buy You Class" titled "Money can't buy you class, but it can pay for a whole bunch of autotune."Personal life
In 1993 she married Alexandre de Lesseps, becoming his fourth wife. Together, they have two children, Victoria and Noel. They divorced in 2009 as a result of reports of infidelity by her husband. She announced that she would retain her married name.External links
- Bravo Official Site
- http://www.classwiththecountess.com
- http://www.usmagazine.com/news/new-york-housewives-countess-luann-split-has-been-really-difficult-200974