I admire Luann’s delusion

Say what you want about Countess Luann de Lesseps, but the woman is the blueprint for delusion as a survival skill. Over the years, she has lived so many different lives that each past version of herself would be horrified by the next—yet somehow, against all odds, she always lands on top.

Season 1 Luann? The embodiment of aristocratic snobbery, correcting people for not addressing her as “Countess” and preaching about class and etiquette. Season 5 Luann? Making pirate-related bad decisions and covering them up with lies so bad they became iconic "be cool, don’t be all, like, uncool".

Then there’s the ultimate fall from grace going from singing about money and class to being arrested and drunkenly threatening a cop. The scandal, the mugshot, the rehab stints. Old-school Countess would have died before being associated with any of that.

And yet, after each downfall, she rises again, morphing into a new version of herself that her old self would have absolutely sneered at. The cabaret queen era? It started as a joke—literally, everyone laughed at the idea of her being a serious performer. And now? She’s selling out international shows, has a cult following, and makes a lot of money doing what she loves.

Luann is proof that being delusional enough to keep pivoting (no matter how ridiculous it looks from the outside) can actually work out in your favor. She somehow always ends up where she wants to be, even if the road there is a chaotic mess.

Countess, cabaret star, ex-con, unintentional comedian—whatever phase she’s in, you have to respect the commitment to reinvention. Who else can say they’ve lived this many lives and come out on top living their best life each time?