Christopher Peterson/Splash NewsLuann de Lesseps is taking back control of her life.
The Real Housewives of New York City star finds herself back in rehab, exactly six months after she completed a 21-day treatment program for issues related to alcohol abuse. As a result, de Lesseps missed Tuesday's taping of the RHONY reunion.
So what caused the Bravolebrity (who publicly celebrated her sobriety on social media only weeks ago) to relapse?
A source tells E! News that Luann was struggling to come to terms with a lawsuit filed against her by her own children and ex-husband, who claim in court documents she broke a stipulation in her 2009 divorce settlement by failing to create a trust for Noel de Lesseps and Victoria de Lesseps.
Our insider shares, "She was having a very hard time with the drama of lawsuit surrounding her, and has been reflecting on all of her bad mistakes recently and completely hit a wall. She definitely thought she could handle incorporating alcohol back into her life casually, but eventually spiraled out of control."
The insider reveals that de Lesseps is expected to remain in rehab for at least 30 days, and "nobody has seen or heard from her" since she checked herself in,
A second source tells E! News she has a cellphone and is in communication with her children and new boyfriend, talent agent Richard Super.
Luann can focus on her road to recovery with the full support of her loved ones and Real Housewives family, who the source says are "very supportive" and have "encouraged her to stay as long as possible to get the help she needs."
"All of her RHONY castmates missed her today during the taping but knew that this was for the best," explains the source. "All of the ladies are very concerned and hopes that she will take this serious and get her health back on track. Everyone is rooting for her."
It's unclear if Luann's Aug. 4 "Countess and Friends" cabaret show will go on as planned, but friends close to the star tell E! News they believe she'll honor the commitment."She loves the stage, and as they say, the show must go on!" one source shared.
In May, Luann reached a plea deal in her drunk and disorderly conduct case. She touched on the Christmas Eve arrest on this season of RHONY, telling co-stars that the incident was triggered by her divorce from Tom D'Agostino.
Bravo released the following statement after news of Luann's return to rehab broke: "Bravo supports Luann's decision to focus on her health. She is part of the Bravo family and we continue to stand by her as she copes with this challenging situation. At this time, we hope everyone will respect her privacy."
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)