Heavy/Getty Kyle Richards and Luann De Lesseps.
“Real Housewives of New York City” alum Luann de Lesseps shared she believes she inspired “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Kyle Richards to make a major life change.
On the March 7 episode of “Real Housewives of New Jersey” star Melissa Gorga‘s podcast, “On Display with Melissa Gorga,” de Lesseps referenced that her former castmate, Leah McSweeney has alleged producers pressured her to consume alcohol during her time on RHONY in a lawsuit. De Lesseps stated that she was never pressured to drink, especially when she was sober. The former RHONY personality noted that she did not consume any alcohol while filming the first season of “Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip,” which aired in 2021. She stated that Richards complimented how she conducted herself while they were co-starring together on the series.
“I did not drink the entire trip because I was sober. And you know what Kyle said to me? She goes, ‘You know what Luann? You are so much fun. Even without drinking.’ And I think I inspired her a little bit not to drink,” said de Lesseps.
The former RHONY star then stated that “nobody is forcing you to drink” while filming Bravo shows.
“Nobody is pouring alcohol done your throat. It is your choice to pick up a drink or not,” said the mother of two. “I understand what [McSweeny] is saying because there is a lot of pressure around it. Because there lot of drinking around it. But if you don’t want to drink, you don’t go to the bar.”
Kyle Richards Discussed Choosing Not to Drink in December 2023
Richards has been open about no longer drinking alcohol. For instance, in a December 2023 interview with Us Weekly, Richards shared that she has not “had one drop of alcohol since July 15, 2022.”
“I don’t miss it. After two glasses of wine, I’d wake up and feel [like I was] dragging. Like, ‘I’m going to skip my workout today. I’m tired, and I feel like having In-N-Out.’ It was a domino effect. I was never a big drinker, so you’d think, how much of a difference could it make? But it really does,” said Richards.
She also stated that she does not believe she will ever consume alcohol again. In addition, she said she felt pressured by her peers to drink.
“In the beginning, I was like, I’m just going to pretend [I’m drinking]. I would whisper to the waiter, ‘I’m going to order a vodka soda, and then just bring me a club soda,'” recalled Richards. “But then a couple of my friends were like, ‘What are you doing? You drink margaritas.’ It just got to the point where I was like, ‘Why am I having to pretend at my age?’ I think about my daughters and peer pressure, and here I am, feeling like I don’t want to be pressured into this. So I stopped pretending. I was just like, ‘Guys, I promise you, I am still going to be fun.'”
Kyle Richards’ Decision Not to Drink Was a Topic of Conversation at the RHOBH Season 13 Reunion
Richards’ decision not to drink was a topic of conversation during the second part of the RHOBH season 13 reunion, which aired on March 6. The mother of four dispelled the rumor that her friend, Morgan Wade, who is sober, influenced her to stop drinking.
“When I stopped drinking, I had only met [Wade], in person, once,” said Richards.
She also stated that she “feels amazing” following her decision to no longer consume alcohol.
“It’s not like I had a problem,” clarified Richards. “So you’d think, ‘Well why would a change affect you so much? But there’s something about it that does change you.”