Luann de Lesseps threatens to kill police in video from December arrest
Real Housewives of New York City star Luann de Lessepswas combative with police and threatened to kill an officer in a video recorded during her arrest in Palm Beach, Florida, in December.
The reality TV star, 52, was apprehended by police in the early hours of Christmas Eve and later charged with resisting an officer with violence, which is a felony, as well as two misdemeanors, trespassing in an occupied structure or conveyance (after entering the wrong hotel room) and disorderly intoxication. A felony charge of battery on a law enforcement officer was dropped.
In a video of her arrest first obtained by CBS12 and then posted by the Daily Mail and on YouTube, the singer is in handcuffs with her arms behind her back as she sits in a police car and someone, presumably a police officer, can be heard telling a friend of de Lesseps’ “she hit a law enforcement officer.” The Bravo personality struggles with her cuffs before slipping one off her wrist, calling out to her friend and repeatedly declaring, “I’ve done nothing wrong. Let me out, please.”
A police officer then goes to take the remaining cuff off as she tries to pull her hand away from him.
She can be seen getting out of the car and calling to her friend as the officer tells her to stop. “Why would you do that to me? Why would you?” de Lesseps protests.
“I’m gonna get you. I’m gonna get you, big time,” she tells the officer as he attempts to put the restraints back on. “I’ve done nothing wrong and you’re handcuffing me.”
She’s put back into the car, with her hands again cuffed behind her back, as she asks for her shoes and her bag. As another officer tries to fasten a seatbelt around her, de Lesseps struggles so the cop puts an arm across her chest, trying to make her sit. It’s then that de Lesseps yells, “Don’t touch me. I’m going to kill you. I’ll kill you! I will kill you!”
As she attempts to get out of the car again, the male officer pushes her back and warns her to stop.
De Lesseps’ arrest came almost a year after she married Tom D’Agostino Jr. in Palm Beach on New Year’s Eve 2016. They announced their divorce just seven months later, amid rumors of D’Agostino’s infidelity.
The reality star pled not guilty to the charges and checked into rehab in January for alcohol treatment. She rejected a plea deal on February 14 and poked fun at her arrest and rehab stint during her cabaret show debut in NYC later that month.
The former countess told Us Weekly earlier this month that she feels she “gotten past” her arrest. “I’m not totally through it completely, but I’m optimistic it’s going to turn out well and everything is going in that direction for me, so I feel very positive,” she said.
