Coutness LuAnn Attends 'The Decision' Premiere

Countess Luann de Lesseps of the Real Housewives of New York attends the unvieling of "The Decision:" a short film in support of the new Precision Foam Colour hosted by John Frieda and Katie Holmes at Lavo NYC on March 22, 2011 in New York City.

Credit: Zimbio

Photos by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images North America

Ramona & LuAnn Dish Near-Deadly Season Four

Ramona Singer and LuAnn de Lesseps stepped out Tuesday night for the premiere of Katie Holmes' new short film, 'The Decision,' and LuAnn revealed that season four of the Real Housewives of New York nearly turned deadly!

Of season four, LuAnn promised "shifting of alliances, I would say, and a lot of surprises," and added, "Somebody almost gets killed on a camel in Marrakech, what can I say?"

LuAnn also teased that in season four, it's going to be "blondes versus brunettes."

For her part, Ramona said there will be "laughing," "crying," "jealousy" and "turtle time with Ramona [drinking] pinot grigio" this season.

The new season of the Real Housewives of New York premieres on Thursday, April 7 on Bravo.

Credit: Entertainment Tonight (Lisa Hirsch)

Coutness Talks Tasteful Celebrations; Tattoos

When it comes to etiquette, manners and overall good behavior, even celebrities need help navigating the rough waters of stardom! It’s a good thing Countess LuAnn de Lesseps of the Real Housewives of New York is joining forces with OK! to school them on the right thing to do! In a rough situation, we just ask, “What Would the Countess Do?” This week the Countess counsels tween role models taking on adulthood and handling jabs from the media gracefully.

How do you keep a celebrity event like a wedding tasteful — even if you want it to be a big, grand event, like Kim Kardashian’s wedding will surely be?

Large, celebrity filled weddings can be just as tasteful as small, intimate ones if care goes into the planning. The venue is key and it is better to use a space that just fits everyone, rather than one that has too much open space. Choose tasteful colors that are appropriate for the season and use warm lighting. Music is key to setting the right atmosphere. Centerpieces should be low enough so that guests can see each other across the table. Have an appetizer waiting for guests at the table and keep the champagne flowing.

Tip: Money can buy champagne, but it can’t buy you taste!

What’s your opinion on the multitude of tattoos stars are getting these days?

I believe that your body is your temple and if you want to decorate it with tattoos, it’s your decision. Nonetheless, there are tasteful tattoos, tacky tattoos and too many tattoos. What seems like a good idea when you are nineteen can seem like a big mistake at thirty. Fads, like tattooing, come and go, but body ink is forever.

Tip: Think before you ink!

Credit: OK! Magazine

If This Season Is Boring, No One Told RHONY

Worried that this season of Real Housewives of New York City won't be as juicy as years past? Consider your fears allayed, young Housewives fan, because Jill Zarin herself says, "It's the best season. By far, the best season we've ever done."

We talked to all the NYC Housewives about what's to come when the new episodes premiere, and they promise it's going to be a big year for everybody in the cast—but especially possibly engaged LuAnn de Lesseps, who says, "[I'm] working on my next song during the season…and my romance...I feel really lucky, and it's really going in a great direction."

Credit: E! Online (Jennifer Arrow)

Countess LuAnn At St. Pawtricks Yappy Hour

Countess LuAnn de Lesseps, star of the Real Housewives of New York, attended St. Pawtricks Yappy Hour benefiting the Humane Society of New York at the Muse Hotel on March 16, 2011 in New York City.

Credit: Wire Image

Countess LuAnn On Press, Overzealous Suitors

When it comes to etiquette, manners and overall good behavior, even celebrities need help navigating the rough waters of stardom! It’s a good thing Countess LuAnn de Lesseps of the Real Housewives of New York is joining forces with OK! to school them on the right thing to do! In a rough situation, we just ask, “What Would the Countess Do?” This week the Countess counsels tween role models taking on adulthood and handling jabs from the media gracefully.

Justin Bieber was recently videotaped lashing out at a paparazzo for getting close, and Miley Cyrus also lectured a photographer for running into her mom. How do you deal with the press when it becomes that intrusive?

Paparazzi can be downright pushy and Justin and Miley have every right to express their displeasure when photographers get too close. I’m sure the paparazzi involved were just trying to do their jobs; however there is a difference between doing your job and being too aggressive. I always appreciate when paparazzi ask to take my photo first and respect my answer. The hard part of being a celebrity is being gracious even when paparazzi are over-zealous.

Tip: When the paparazzi stop hounding you, it’s time to worry!

Some of your fellow Real Housewives were reportedly slipped Rohypnol at an NYC bar. What are some tips from preventing all kinds of unwanted advances on a night out, from the extreme of being drugged to just turning down overzealous suitors?

It is always best to go out with another person or a group of friends if you want to avoid being approached by strange men. Never sit at a bar alone or accept a drink from someone you do not know. My fellow Real Housewives escaped unharmed from their Rohypnol experience but it could have turned out much worse. Just say “no thank you” and go back to having fun with your friends. Signal to a bouncer if your potential suitor doesn’t get the hint that you are not interested in his advances.

Tip: Don’t accept candy (or drinks) from strangers!

Credit: OK! Magazine

Countess LuAnn Stars On USA Network's 'Eden'

Reality TV's favorite (and only) royal has landed another TV acting gig, and only Radar Online has the first on-set photos.

Real Housewives Of New York City star, Countess Luann de Lesseps is filming a guest star role in a new scripted show called Eden for USA Network playing - herself!

Luann is in high demand having only last month played her first scripted role as a high-brow art collector in NBC's popular crime drama series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

And this time around she feels right at home!

"I'm a socialite!" she said without revealing too much about the new show. "It's exciting! I'm making the move into scripted. I feel comfortable paying the socialite. I'm good at it!"

Credit: Radar Online

Countess LuAnn: Leave Lindsay Lohan Alone

With Lindsay Lohan only days away from her felony grand theft case court date, Real Housewives of New York star Countess LuAnn de Lesseps is sending love to the starlet. Lesseps, whose messy divorce was dragged through the tabloids, sympathizes with Lohan, admitting the media should let her get on with her life.

"I feel like people are always on Lindsay's back. I feel sorry for her," Lesseps told Pop Eater at the 23rd Bailey House Auction party. "Does she need to go to jail for stealing a necklace? I don't think so. Hopefully she will get a break and have learned something from this whole experience."

Credit: Pop Eater (Amber James)

Real Housewives of NY Premiere Date Finally Set

Get ready for more Big Apple drama, Housewives fans!

After a sudden schedule switcheroo in February that bumped the Real Housewives of New York City's fourth season premiere in favor of the Real Housewives of Miami's debut, the New York women finally have a premiere date.

Come April 7, Jill Zarin, Alex McCord, LuAnn de Lesseps, Ramona Singer, Kelly Bensimon, Sonja Morgan and newcomer Cindy Barshop will be back on the air, the network announced via their BravoTV.com The Dish blog Monday.

"From the gang's glamorous jaunt to Morocco, to our already-favorite dig "thug in a cocktail dress" (delivered by the ultimate messenger, Alex McCord), to the Countess finding love again, the new season will definitely be worth the wait," the Bravo blog post read.

Brooklyn-based cast member McCord agrees, and tells Us Magazine fans should clear their calendars for Thursday nights.

"I think this is definitely the best season so far," McCord tells Us. "[But] there was no way they were going to get [editing] done in time."

The Real Housewives of New York City premieres April 7 at 10 p.m. (EST) on Bravo.

Credit: Us Magazine

Countess Talks Solo Celebs; Twitter Etiquette

When it comes to etiquette, manners and overall good behavior, even celebrities need help navigating the rough waters of stardom! It’s a good thing Countess LuAnn de Lesseps of the Real Housewives of New York is joining forces with OK! to school them on the right thing to do! In a rough situation, we just ask, “What Would the Countess Do?” This week the Countess counsels tween role models taking on adulthood and handling jabs from the media gracefully.

Pop stars like Beyonce and Justin Timberlake have both come from successful pop groups into superstar solo artists. How do you think an artist could help build a successful solo career for themselves?

Beyonce and Justin Timberlake paid their dues and made invaluable music industry contacts while singing with successful pop groups. They are also incredibly talented singer-songwriters who have worked hard to achieve their superstar status. There is no easy way to build a successful entertainment career. It takes talent, hard work, great contacts, and chutzpah.

Tip: Make friends at every job you have and you will build a network that can lift you to the next level.

Twitter accounts have gotten celebs in trouble often in the past, like when Kim Kardashian ousted the air marshal next to her on a flight or when Bow Wow tweeted how tipsy he was while driving. Is there a certain etiquette celebs should follow when using twitter?

Kim Kardashian and Bow Wow were both breaking the law when they posted these tweets. Also, they were endangering others; Kim by exposing the presence of an air marshal who is traveling incognito to protect the plane’s passengers and Bow Wow by driving under the influence and tweeting while driving. To me, this isn’t an etiquette issue but a public safety issue. I think a good guideline for celebs to follow is first do no harm, then consider if the tweet is in good taste.

Tip: Sometimes, it’s better to say nothing, especially when engaged in illegal activities.

Credit: OK! Magazine

Countess: Bethenny Not Missed on 'Housewives'

Real Housewives of New York City star Countess LuAnn de Lesseps doesn't miss having Bethenny Frankel around the Bravo hit anymore, and she reveals to Pop Eater's Rob Shuter the real reason behind the delay in the new season.

"To tell you the truth, no!" she told Shuter on my HDNet show when asked if she misses Bethenny. "She's doing her own thing now, so I wish her luck. Very happy for her. And you know, we have a new housewife now, so on to new and different things."

The countess tells him there is no truth to reports that the upcoming season of RHONY was postponed because it is boring, rather she explained that Bravo needed extra time to edit it because its so full of excitement.

"Well, what's going on is that there is so much drama that they needed more time to edit!"

LuAnn has been busy recording another song and music video, and as you know, she just made her prime-time acting debut in Law & Order SVU.

"It wasn't easy laying naked with just a sheet covering me in front of Mariska Hargitay," the countess tells him.

Credit: Pop Eater (Rob Shuter)

Countess LuAnn: Annual Bailey House Auction

Real Housewives of New York's Countess LuAnn de Lesseps attended the 23rd Annual Bailey House Auction at Lexington Avenue Armory on February 23, 2011 in New York City.

Credit: Zimbio

Photos by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images North America

Coutness LuAnn's Law & Order Acting Debut

Real Housewives of New York star Countess LuAnn de Lesseps made her acting debut on the Law & Order: SVU episode 'Bully.'

As Detectives Benson and Stabler investigate a murder tied to an art gallery, they walk in on her posing nude for a painter. Benson asks her to leave so they can question him. She wraps herself in a sheet and says stiffly, "He's all about the truth, you know ... Don't upset him and scrub his mojo."

Credit: Pop Eater (TV Squad)

LuAnn on Semi-Nude TV Scene: "No Problem!"

She's famously sparred with Bethenny Frankel on the Real Housewives of New York and stepped into the recording booth to debut her first single, "Money Can't Buy You Class," but Countess LuAnn de Lesseps says nothing compares to her upcoming role on NBC's Law and Order: SVU.

"It was a fun, challenging experience for me," de Lesseps, 45, tells Us Magazine of her stint on the series. Taking on the role of an art patron who poses semi-nude for a painter, the Bravo reality star says she had no qualms about doffing her duds in front of the camera.

"[I appear] semi-nude, so I felt comfortable because I was covered and it was tasteful. I didn't have a problem with that," she tells Us. "The problem is, you know, saying the lines and keeping yourself covered and being in the right place at the right time."

To prepare for her scenes -- which were shot in January at New York City's Chelsea Piers -- de Lesseps enlisted the help of her new boyfriend, Jacques Azoulay.

"My boyfriend helped me prepare for the role. He read lines with me," de Lesseps says of Azoulay, a French wine distributor. "[The cast and crew] were a great group of people and very supportive of me being there. The director is the one who said, you know, 'We think the Countess is perfect for this role' and I think that they really saw me in that role, embodying that role. It happened very fast. I basically got my lines two days before I shot."

And now that her first scripted primetime appearance is in the can, de Lesseps says she's ready for more.

"I've already been called to do another appearance on another pilot on I think USA Network," she says. "I would love to go on 30 Rock for example. Tina Fey, call me!"

Credit: Us Magazine

LuAnn De Lesseps: “I Don’t Want a Teen Mom”

Although Countess LuAnn De Lesseps made her name as a star on Real Housewives of NYC, there is one reality show she doesn’t get: Teen Mom.

“I haven’t seen it, so I don’t get it,” the mom of two teenagers, Victoria, 16, and Noel, 14, tells me. “I hope not to be the mother of a teen mom myself, because I have a 16-year-old. Luckily, she’s into Top Chef and a lot of reality shows, but Teen Mom is not one of them.”

Still, she doesn’t discount the show’s appeal.

“I think teenagers are curious, like everybody else, to see women going through something like that. Either it’s something they’ve seen before or it’s totally not common from where they’re from, so I think teens are always curious to see how other teens are, like housewives are always curious to see how the Housewives live.”

Credit: OK! Magazine (Valerie Nome)

Countess LuAnn Stars On Law & Order: SVU

For years, we've seen Countess LuAnn De Lesseps mix it up with New York's elite such as Ramona Singer, Jill Zarin and Bethenny Frankel; now she's gets to mix it up with two of New York's finest: Stabler & Benson.

Yes, the woman who's resonated class, refinement and elegance on the Real Housewives Of New York will be making a special appearance on NBC's ratings juggernaut Law & Order: SVU -- and Radar Online has the exclusive first photos from the set.

"It was such an honor to work with such great actors," she told us exclusively of her experiences working with TV stars Chris Meloni and Mariska Hargitay.

"They were very supportive of me and made me feel comfortable.

"I enjoyed it. It was a challenge for me. It's about remembering your lines and standing in the right spot -- at the same time holding on to my sheet!"

In the episode, Countess LuAnn is aptly cast as a highbrow art collector who has a thing for the artist -- even posing nude for her love interest in one of the scenes.

"It was really fun for me to do scripted from reality," she said, adding the nude scene was tastefully done.

In between filming for Real Housewives of New York City, the Countess actually had only two days to remember her lines, but her longtime beau Jacques Azoulay rehearsed with her.

"I didn't have much time to work on it, so he read lines with me and was very helpful. He said, 'Say it like this, relax,'" she said.

Credit: Radar Online

'Real Housewives Of New York' Valentine’s Day!

It’s sure going to be one beautiful Valentine’s Day for the gals of the cast of the Real Housewives of New York City! Ramona Singer, Sonja Morgan, Kelly Bensimon, Alex McCord, Countess LuAnn de Lesseps and Jill Zarin all share their plans for the special day with Hollywood Life exclusively!

Here’s what they’re all up to:

Ramona Singer: “I actually celebrated Valentine’s Day early with my husband Mario,” Ramona says. “I gave Mario a present. We got a double massage for two hours last weekend at the Equinox in a private room and shared a bottle of champagne. Because Valentine’s is on Monday, we are going out on Saturday night with four other couples for dinner. On Monday we are taking our daughter Avery (because she is the other woman in Mario’s life) to a nice dinner.”

Sonja Morgan: “I’m going to get my guy some red hot and white cashmere socks, and three long stems roses,” Sonja notes. “The rest I’ll leave up to your imagination.”

Kelly Bensimon: “My valentines are my two girls,” Kelly gushes. “I like to surprise them with some fun sweeties. Sea wants chocolates. Teddy wants gummy bears. Fortunately I love both!”

Alex McCord: “With Simon and I, every day is Valentine’s Day,” Alex rubs it in. “So we don’t do anything special on V-day. But now that our kids are getting older, they are starting to share Valentines with their friends at school. We sit at the table and go over the cards with the kids. We also had a romantic night on Feb. 10 (that was not V-Day related) where we cooked each other a big meal after the boys went to bed. Neither of us are big on the commercial V-day thing.”

Countess LuAnn de Lesseps: “I’m being surprised — it’s killing me,” LuAnn shares with us. “LuAnn is being ’surprised’ for Valentine’s Day by her boyfriend, Jacques,” confirms her rep. “She has no idea what the plans are! And then next weekend, she is taking her daughter Victoria for a girls’ weekend out in Miami.”

Jill Zarin: “Jill plans on spending a romantic evening at home with her husband Bobby and modeling the new lace design of her Skweez Couture shapewear,” Jill’s rep tells us. “Bobby always starts Valentine’s early by sending flowers a few days prior. The first bouquet of 500 imported french red roses arrived on Feb. 11.”

Credit: Lindsey DiMattina for Hollywood Life

LuAnn & Sonja Attend Red Dress Fall Collection

Real Housewives of New York's Countess LuAnn De Lesseps and Sonja Morgan at the Heart Truth's Red Dress Fall 2011 Fashion Show at the Lincoln Centre in NYC on February 9, 2011.

Credit: Zimbio

Photos by Pacific Coast News

LuAnn: Be A Good Example; Dress Appropriately

When it comes to etiquette, manners and overall good behavior, even celebrities need help navigating the rough waters of stardom! It’s a good thing Countess LuAnn de Lesseps of the Real Housewives of New York is joining forces with OK! to school them on the right thing to do! In a rough situation, we just ask, “What Would the Countess Do?” This week the Countess takes a look at setting examples and dressing for your age.

 

Justin Bieber has captured the hearts of so many young kids like no other pop star could. How could a young pop star such as Justin have a normal teenage romance without setting a bad example for our youth?
Justin Bieber is beloved by so many young fans because he is teen-idol handsome and incredibly talented for someone his age. With the paparazzi tracking his every move, having a normal teenage romance is going to be difficult for Justin. I suggest that he be as discrete as possible with his personal life and conduct himself like a gentleman around the young ladies. With fame comes responsibility and Justin Bieber seems to understand this and so far has avoided the scandals so often seen in the young and famous.

Tip: Setting a good example can be easy if you behave yourself.

Although celebs have access to all the best fashions, they still make some serious mistakes. What fashion tips do you have for celebs to dress appropriately for their age?
The best-dressed celebrities trust their own instincts and wear what looks good, regardless of the current trends. Young celebs can be more adventurous with how they dress while older celebs should focus on glamour and elegance rather than being avant-garde. I suggest that older celebs stick to luxurious classics while keeping their look fresh with interesting accessories.

Tip: You will actually look older if you dress too young for your age.

Credit: OK! Magazine