Fans Reactions are Mixed After RHONY Star Wears Afro and Blackface

Luann Diana Ross

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The Real Housewives of New York’s” Luan de Lesseps offered an apology after she was accused of darkening her skin in the season 10 premiere. The 54-year-old impersonated Diana Ross for a Halloween party and also wore an Afro wig, which one of her cast mates immediately criticized.

“Something’s a little off about Luann’s costume,” said Carole Radziwill during the show. “I think she’s tone-deaf when it comes to cultural stereotypes. She’s generally tone-deaf anyway.”

Bethenny Frankel, another cast mate, didn’t seem as offended as Radziwill and said de Lesseps was brave for wearing the getup.

“Luann’s got the balls of a burglar,” she said. “You’ve gotta give it to her. She gives zero f—ks, well, I take that back.”

Luann Diana Ross

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Before the episode premiered, de Lesseps stopped by “ET,” and the host Nischelle Turner didn’t let her leave without addressing the controversy.

“There is a moment that I do want to ask you about, as it kind of took me aback,” Turner began. “When you dressed as Diana Ross, and there were people who interpreted that as you had on blackface.”

“I didn’t,” replied de Lesseps. “I had makeup on but not anything that would make me look [like I was in blackface].”

Turner then disagreed, but the reality star insisted she was just doing her own interpretation of the singer and nothing else. de Lesseps also admitted to wearing tanning cream with the costume, but it wasn’t to appear in blackface.

The “ET” host also brought up Radziwill’s criticism, which de Lesseps said she understood but disagreed with.

“[Just] because I didn’t agree with it doesn’t mean I didn’t get it,” she stated. “I was being an impersonator for Halloween.”

“Can you see it from the other side of the coin?” asked Turner.

de Lesseps said that she could, then offered an apology.

“I didn’t mean to offend anyone by being Diana Ross for Halloween. It just didn’t even kind of enter my mind,” she insisted. “I wasn’t at all worried about that, and all of a sudden it became a thing. I’m so sorry. I don’t want it to be a thing, so I apologize if I have offended.”

It was back in November 2017 when the real housewife first received criticism for the makeup and costume after she shared a photo of it on Instagram. Immediately after she was blasted, but some defended her and said no wrongdoings were committed. 

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de Lesseps was also a guest on a recent episode of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” where she apologized once again but denied trying to appear in blackface.

“I never meant to hurt anybody’s feelings. I love Diana Ross and I totally respect Diana Ross. It was really kind of a tribute to her, and it was Halloween” she stated. “I had bronzer on that I wear normally, like the rest of my skin. I’m tan right now, so I didn’t add anything or try to ever, ever dream of doing a blackface, ever. So I’m very sorry to everyone out there if I ever offended anyone.”

You can see a portion of that interview below, as well as some social media comments.

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