Why Carole Radziwill Really Left The Real Housewives of New York

When The Real Housewives of New York premiered in 2008, it mainly focused on the trials and tribulations of six working mothers. As the show progressed, it recruited a wealth of interesting and passionate socialites to help make the show seem more alluring to fans of reality TV. Thus, The Real Housewives of New York often felt different from other installments in this franchise because the characters weren’t exactly the typical housewives, they were actually high-powered businesswomen. 

Carole Radziwill is a prime example of this. When she joined the show in 2012, she proved that women can be stylish and contemporary whilst still holding their own opinions. A lot of audiences enjoyed Radizwill’s presence and appreciated how she brought a lot of witty humor to even the most tense of situations. So why did she decide to leave the show so suddenly and is there any chance that she will return?

Carole Had Her Sights Set on Bigger Things

   Before joining the cast of The Real Housewives of New York in Season 5, Carole Radziwill was best recognized as an ABC journalist. She began working at the network back in 1985 as an intern and quickly climbed up the ranks, working on hit shows like 20/20 and Close Up. Despite her stint on a reality TV series, Radziwill focused on a ton of taboo topics, such as gun control, abortion, and foreign policy. She was also stationed in Iraq in 1991 and produced a plethora of impactful reports about the Gulf War. In 1994, she married an ABC News producer named Anthony Radziwill, who was the nephew of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Tragically, Anthony died in 1999 of cancer, leaving Carole as a young widow. While she has expressed the tragedy of this event, she has also used this change to help others, producing a number of memoirs and books about how she manages to live a fulfilling life in the midst of grief.

Although it seems strange that a hard-hitting journalist would want to be associated with a show like The Real Housewives of New York, she was a quick hit with fans. Audiences loved her poignancy and appreciated how openly she spoke about the loss of her husband. She was also quite funny at times, adding a touch of highbrow humor to a sometimes quite fickle franchise. But after six seasons, Radziwill felt it was time to give up her apple. In a statement, she announced that she was leaving the show so that she could refocus her life on her main passion, journalism.

I have decided to return to what I do best – journalism and producing. I am sure this does not come as a surprise to any of the viewers, all of whom have been supportive, encouraging, and kind. My original curiosity about reality television has waned over the years and I am focusing on TV and writing projects that better suit my more steady temperament… I will remember this entire experience with delight, humor, and a veracious accuracy.

But, like a lot of Housewives, Carole later revealed that she had consistent issues on set which forced her to leave the show. Fans will remember that she had frequent fights with Bethenny Frankel and Tinsley Mortimer, all of which made Carole feel very overwhelmed. The journalist also noted that the network offered preferential treatment to certain stars and even claimed that there were pay disputes among the cast. Overall, fans feel as if Carole unfortunately made a lot of enemies during her time on the show and had to step away before it all got too much.

Radziwiłł Offered a Unique Insight Into the Life of a Modern American Woman

Image via Bravo    

While Carole wasn’t associated with a lot of scandals, she certainly made her opinions known. During the 2016 election, Radziwill ran a range of immense campaigns for Hillary Clinton, and some would argue that she let politics get to her head. She spent a lot of time criticizing Donald Trump and engaging in very heated discussions with her co-stars. While a lot of her peers were proud of what she managed to achieve throughout her campaigns, some of Carole’s closest friends had to remind her that she couldn’t control the final result. Months of stress came to a head on the night of the election, causing Carole to break down in tears when she heard the result. Admittedly, Carole’s passion for politics could be a tad jarring at times, especially for fans who used The Real Housewives of New York to escape their present reality. However, Radziwill helped to alter the narrative surrounding female thought leaders and worked to showcase the place that women hold in the most integral parts of society.

Where to Stream The Real Housewives of New York

Amazon Prime Video

Carole will also be remembered for her grief, something that made her seem incredibly human and vulnerable. The journalist had written tons of books and newspaper articles about the loss of her husband, but seeing her clutch his urn was a completely different level of heartache. Alongside remembering her lover, Carole also strove to get back on to the dating scene. When she first joined the show, she was dating Aerosmith producer Russ Irwin, who featured in a few episodes. She then went on to start a relationship with Adam Kenworthy, a much younger chef. Although Radziwill’s dating history could be a tad complicated at times, these instances made her much more relatable to audiences. She was a relatively young widow who was trying to juggle work and finding a new partner, things that require a strong head and heart. As such, Carole may have been a touch obsessive at times, but as a whole, she reminded viewers that in order to climb up the ladder, you have to keep on going regardless of the circumstances.

Carole Continues to Express Her Love for NYC

Image via Bravo  

Although it may be a tough pill for fans to swallow, Carole Radziwill seems a lot happier since leaving The Real Housewives of New York. After dominating the world of journalism and literature, she has now moved into the realm of theater. In February 2025, she announced that she had the opportunity to invest in an Off-Broadway play called Curse of the Starving Class. The story follows the Tate family as they struggle to make ends meet in the desert region of California during the 1950s. Despite their low status, each member has their own dreams and is determined to break out of their dire conditions. While the play has an immense legacy across the pond, it doesn’t really get shown very often in the US, so theater lovers were very excited about its revival. Speaking about the experience, Radziwill notes

I’ve had the opportunity to invest [and] support [The New Group NYC] in this thought-provoking play, written by Sam Shepard in the ’70s and still is relevant today. The play originally premiered Off-Broadway in 1978. This revival features the incredibly talented Calista Flockhart, Christan Slater, as well as newcomers Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) and Stella Marcus.

Although it would be wrong to say that Carole spends all of her time criticizing Bravo and the Real Housewives franchise, she doesn’t hesitate to throw low blows when asked about the show. In December 2023, Bravo launched RHONY: Legacy, a spin-off series that aimed to bring the show’s best characters back for one last hurrah. While big hitters like Luann de Lesseps and Sonja Morgan were keen to make a comeback, Radziwill quickly shot down any rumors that she would be returning and even tore apart the show as a concept. During an episode of Andy’s Girls with Sarah Galli, the journalist explained

Taking the fans’ desire for me to come back, and putting that aside (because I love them)… if I went back I would sort of consider that to be an epic fail on my part. I would not go back. I could not have one more conversation about anything with any of them.

She later goes on to criticize RHONY: Legacy’s position on Peacock.

I don’t even get that show. I would see it running for a few episodes and then where are they going to go with that? It’s always going to compete with the show on Bravo, because the legacy show is going to be on Peacock.

Judging by the way that Carole speaks about her time on The Real Housewives of New York, it’s fair to assume that she won’t be returning to the franchise any time soon. However, it seems that the journalist still cherishes New York and aims to showcase her devotion to it in other ways. Yet, some fans can’t help but feel a bit sad about the way Carole left things with her former co-stars.