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Everything to Know About the Pirate on RHONY Before a Possible RHUGT Return
Luann de Lesseps was caught in a hot mic moment related to the pirate on RHONY Season 5.
Well, shiver me timbers. The fourth season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip is ready to set sail as some unforgettable ladies from RHONY return to St. Barts.
Fans of The Real Housewives of New York City will recall RHONY Season 5 when the ‘Wives headed to their Saint Barthélemy girls’ trip villa. There, audiences were introduced to Luann de Lesseps’ swashbuckling acquaintance Tomas Ribeiro, which led to hookup drama and a surprising hot mic moment.
"The pirate," as he was nicknamed, may be making a comeback on RHUGT Season 4, so if you need a refresher, here's everything you need to know about Luann's pirate, Tomas Ribeiro.
Who is the pirate on RHONY?
On RHONY Season 5, Episode 13, Luann found herself shakin’ her booty during a night out with the cast that included pirate costumes and good vibes.
Ribeiro, whose appearance evoked Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Carribean, was introduced as the boyfriend of one of Sonja Morgan’s friends, the owner of Le Ti bar in St. Barts (where the French-speaking Ribeiro also worked).
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“Luann spots him, and it’s white on rice,” Sonja said in her confessional.
At the time, Luann was in a relationship with Jacques Azoulay, whom she dated for four years. But it didn’t stop Luann and Tomas from indulging in some heavy-duty flirting.
“I want to be special, not like your other pirate women,” Luann told Ribeiro.
Back at their accommodations in the cold light of day, Heather Thomson and Carole Radziwill questioned Luann about hearing a French-speaking man in her room after their return from Le Ti.
Luann tried explaining to the women — and Jacques — that she’d run into some “old Italian friends,” but the women didn’t buy into the story.
“Luann came to my door late last night and woke me up,” Heather later said. “It wasn’t a group of Italians she was with; she was with Tomas.”
What was Luann's hot mic moment on RHONY?
Luann stuck to her guns despite the situation making Heather feel “uncomfortable.” However, suspicions were inflamed when Luann had an offscreen phone conversation (in French) with her friend, Catherine.
“Can you do a big favor for me? I went out with Tom last night. You know, the one that looks a bit like Johnny Depp, and the girls, they know I brought someone here,” Luann told her friend. “He cannot say that he was here last night with me.”
Luann continued, “I don’t want the girls to know he was with me last night. That’s very important.”
The “Money Can’t Buy You Class” singer explained that she told the rest that she’d brought a group of Italians home but that they continued to challenge her story.
“I never change,” Luann concluded.
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Later in the episode, Catherine arrived at the villa with Ribeiro, an awkward scene that carried over to Season 5, Episode 14. Ribeiro played coy, avoiding questions about whether he had come home with Luann the previous evening.
Sonja also had a good time flirting with Ribeiro over drinks shortly before Sonja and the pirate disappeared from the party.
“Luann had her time with Tomas last night,” Sonja told RHONY producers. “Tonight is Sonja’s night.”
In 2020, Tomas Ribeiro surprised Luann on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen to set the record straight.
“Should I tell?” Ribeiro teased. “Well, it may surprise many people, but nothing happened between Luann and I. Luann is a great woman who is a great soul.”
Who is Tomas Ribeiro?
During his short time on RHONY, Ribeiro was the “Maître D’ and Artistic Director” at Le Ti St. Barts, where he and the Housewives met for the first time onscreen. Ribeiro worked at the club from 2008 to 2013 before relocating to Miami and spending nearly three years at El Tucán as an assistant general manager, according to his LinkedIn page.
During his time at El Tućan, he looked as dapper as ever when photographed at a soiree, as published in World Red Eye. He was also spotted with Yoli Mayor, a singer who performed on Season 12 of NBC’s America’s Got Talent.
Since then, the former pirate has managed several Miami-area establishments, including Coral Gables’ Sea Grill, Riverside Miami, and Babylon Miami Beach, per his LinkedIn page.
Ribeiro is described in his profile as “a dynamic and guest-centered multilingual restaurant and club manager with over a decade’s experience in hospitality and management of fine dining restaurants and high-profile nightclubs.”
Currently, Ribeiro — who can speak English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese fluently — seemingly still lives in Florida, reportedly working at an Italian restaurant, Carbone Miami.
Ribeiro previously studied at the Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France in the early 2000s and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree at the New York Film Academy in New York City.
Will the pirate return to Bravo?
Luann joins Sonja, Ramona Singer, Dorinda Medley, Kristen Taekman, and Kelly Killoren Bensimon as Bravo returns to St. Barts for the fourth installment of RHUGT.
Earlier this year, while promoting Luann & Sonja: Welcome to Crappie Lake, Luann told The Daily Dish that Ribeiro’s look has changed since his bootlegging days and that he still occasionally reaches out.
“You know, the pirate has reached out to me,” Luann admitted. “He texted me, and he goes, ‘I’m sorry, so sorry, I don’t think I’ll be able to come on this girls’ trip.’”
Luann added, however, that he might be making a virtual appearance.
During BravoCon 2023, Luann said the Ribeiro of RHONY Season 5 and the Ribeiro of today were completely different and that she would not recognize him if she were to run into him on the streets, as reported by Page Six.
“He wears a suit now … he looks like an investment banker,” said Luann. “He looked much better as Johnny Depp.”
But don't lose hope, folks, because RHUGT Season 4’s trailer teases a possible comeback by the pirate.
“I’m wondering if there’s going to be some cute guys there,” Luann tells Sonja. “We need a new pirate.”
Later in the trailer, Luann told the others that the pirate tried calling her “9,000 times,” just as someone dressed in a pirate costume (his face never revealed for the cameras) walks into the Housewives’ get-together.
“That’s the pirate?” Dorinda asked producers with a puzzled look.
We’re unsure if the ladies will make this one walk the plank as audiences await the pirate’s hopeful Bravo return with bated breath.
Don’t miss the Season 4 premiere of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, its first three episodes dropping Thursday, December 14, exclusively on Peacock.
