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Luann de Lesseps is taking the necessary strides to get back on track in her sobriety journey after a recent misstep.
On Thursday, reports indicated that the Real Housewives of New York City star, 56, made a scene while at The Townhouse of New York. She had taken the mic in the piano room and sang a series of songs to fellow patrons. The reality star was not sober at the time.
“Luann works very hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle,” a source tells PEOPLE. “But she made a mistake and fell off the wagon.”
The source notes that de Lesseps is “using this experience as a valuable lesson” going forward. “She will be taking steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” the source adds.
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Addressing the piano bar incident, de Lesseps told Page Six she was “in a celebratory mood and drinking champagne” with Broadway producers over dinner after rehearsing for her upcoming cabaret show.
She ventured to The Townhouse of New York with Tony Award-winning Kinky Boots producer Jim Kierstead later that night. While there, de Lesseps said Kierstead suggested she sing some songs since “there were a bunch of people singing and it was a fun, boisterous crowd.”
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“I got up and sang a few Broadway songs they were playing,” she told the news outlet. “I realize I was a little bit tipsy, but we were having fun, and it was getting late. I’d been rehearsing, and I was in the mood to sing a few songs. Then Jim said to me, ‘Lu, I have an early rehearsal,’ and then we left around midnight, 11:30 p.m.”
De Lesseps has publicly struggled with her sobriety for years. The issue first came to light in 2017 when she was arrested for battery, trespassing and disorderly intoxication. Shortly after, she voluntarily entered an alcohol treatment center.
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She returned to rehab in 2018 but continued consuming alcohol the following year after completing her probation requirements. She then quit drinking amid the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the creation of her non-alcoholic Fosé Rosé brand.
Last November, de Lesseps told PEOPLE she was “in a great place” with her sobriety.
“My daughter is one of my biggest supporters. I have a lot of friends and my family. It’s been an incredible journey,” she said at the time. “I’ve grown so much, and I feel like I’m finally in a great place. It’s day by day. That’s all we can do, right?”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.
