I take most of my “Real Housewives” with a grain of salt—but Carole Radziwill has me changing my perspective.
I’ve been a fan of the “Real Housewives” franchise for as long as I can remember and New York has always held a special place in my heart. Maybe it stems from my desire to live there one day; maybe it has to do with Bethenny Frankel’s biting insults. Who knows? But when Bravo introduced me to Carole Radziwill—a former ABC correspondent and a woman I felt comfortable looking up to—there was a change in the show. For once, the show truly exemplified its title and became a little more real.
Carole Radziwill came from a humble background and worked her way up as a journalist at ABC. She eventually went on to work with Peter Jennigns’ documentary unit and was sent to Cambodia where she worked on her first solo documentary. This was the first of many incredible assignments, including travelling to the Middle East to report on the first Gulf War and visiting places like Haiti and India to show Americans what it’s like outside of living in a first world country.
On the job, she met her future husband—who just so happened to be a prince. Anthony Radziwill, a Polish prince and the nephew of First Lady Jacqueline Onasis, was a producer on the story they were both working on. Their fairy tale like relationship turned into a marriage in 1994. Unfortunately their story book tale took a turn for the worst when Anthony died from cancer in August 1999—just three weeks after the plane crash that robbed Carole of her best friends: Carolyn and John Kennedy.
Some would say the fairy tale ended here. But Carole still had a life to live and after a years of looking for answers she started to write. She produced her first book What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship, and Love, and while she says it is not the only story of her life, “it is a significant one.” The book remained on the New York Times bestseller list for weeks and continues to be celebrated today. What Remains reads like poetry and I’ve cried both times I’ve read it. She navigates the world of cancer with poise and ugly truths, taking the reader on a heart-wrenching journey. Here’s a short excerpt on her husband’s cancer and the untimely death of her two friends:
“There is the disease and the person, and though I am living with both, one has robbed me of the other.”
“Afterward I tried to find something to explain what had happened—was it cloudy, were the stars out? But the night was ordinary. It usually is, I think, when your life changes. Most people aren’t doing anything special when the carefully placed pieces of their life break apart.”
Carole went on to write her second novel, The Widows Guide to Sex and Dating, a fictional piece that is loosely based on her own experience, but with a hint of embellishment and a touch of humor. The book opens with a priceless sculpture falling on the head of protagonist Claire’s husband. It’s impossible not to laugh. Her other work includes cover stories for Glamour, where she has interviewed celebrities such as Olivia Wilde—a personal favorite of mine.
In August 2011 Bravo called Carole and offered her a role on “The Real Housewives of New York City”, which she took after some initial restraint. She’s said several times that the show appealed to her as a journalist and it is clear that she has formed some true friendships as a result (team Carole and Heather all the way).
Carole’s cool disposition and fun nature has been a breath of fresh air to the show and even in times of confrontation she has managed to maintain her down-to-earth image. From slutty-island in St. Barts to Bookgate and legs being thrown, Carole continues to give some much-needed perspective. I’m looking forward to the new season, which airs Tuesday nights at 9:00 on Bravo. I’m not-so-secretly dying for a Bethenny/Carole friendship and am curious to see if Carole will outdo last year’s tagline, which Buzzfeed listed as the number one tagline in Housewife history.
One of my best friends calls me Radzi-J on occasion—short for Radzi Junior. I can only hope that’s true.
Photos 1 and 2 from http://www.caroleradziwill.com/bio/my-story, photo 3 from Goodreads.com, photo 4 from http://thewidowsguidetosexanddating.com/