Who Is Luann De Lessup’s Friend Barbara Kavovit?

Getty Barbara Kavovit and Luann de Lesseps

Real Housewives of New York has a new cast member in Barbara Kavovit. She’s made a splash in the first couple episodes of the season, where she made it clear that she has a special connection with fellow housewife Luann De Lessup. Read on to learn more about Kavovit and De Lessup’s relationship.

According to Refinery29, Kavovit is a “a good friend of De Lessup who stood by the former countess after her relapse.” The friends regularly post photos together on their Instagram, and in a since deleted post, De Lessup congratulated Kavovit on the release of her novel Heels of Steel. “We have been such close friends for over 14 years,” she wrote. “I am beyond proud of you my darling & loving this novel about you.”

Kavovit & De Lessup Have Been Friends for Over 14 Years & Have Supported One Another’s Careers

Kavovit’s friendship with De Lessup has already led to some tension with other cast members. Dorinda Medley blames her for complicating her relationship with De Lessup and making it so that they’ve grown further apart. “You are going to see throughout the season [that] I’m just trying so hard to communicate with her, and Barbara, unfortunately, is constantly blocking it,” she told Us Weekly. “I think it made it go on longer than it should have. We needed to just clear the air,” she added. “I mean, listen, you know when you have a break like that, it changes the relationship. So we’re working on it.”

Medley also said that she put off by Kavovit’s attitude, as she has also known her for years. “She was an independent friend of mine, so I was just so dumbfounded when … It’s almost like she didn’t know me,” she revealed. “I was like, ‘It’s me! Remember me? Remember the person that saved you when you were at Luann’s wedding and she didn’t want to speak to you? I’m the one that stood by you?’”

Kavovit Is the CEO of the Company Evergreen Construction

Beyond the series, Kavovit is best known for her work in the construction business. She founded a home improvement company called Stand-Ins, and is currently the CEO of Evergreen Construction. During an interview with Us Weekly, she recalls being inspired by her dad. “We built many different projects together besides the building of something that was so tangible,” she said. “You know, it was a transformation with your dad and the fact that he was so patient and caring and nurturing. It was someone that, as a young girl, I was so impressionable. I mean, that really gave me the love for this feeling of self-esteem.”

“I mean, it’s really exciting to be able to be the boss,” she continued. “I like to call myself ‘boss lady,’ being the CEO of a construction company and having 75 guys at any given time on your job site, and being the person that is ultimately responsible for the schedule, the budget, change orders, making sure everything happens on time because there’s so much money at stake at all times.”