Carole Radziwill is addressing being one of the many public figures whose name appeared in the millions of files released by the Department of Justice regarding the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
The author and “Real Housewives of New York City” star, who rejoined the series for its upcoming Season 16 after stepping away from the show in 2018, spoke about the files during a Bravo press event held at the Wölffer Estate Vineyard in Sagaponack, New York, on Sept. 1.
At the event, Radziwill was asked by Bravo’s Andy Cohen about her return to the franchise. He recalled a conversation with Radziwill in which she said that rejoining the show felt like an “opportunity” after her name appeared in the Epstein files.
“I mean, I felt like this isn’t something I shy away from,” she said. “Me and many, many, many, many more people found their names in these files. And it’s not something I shy away from because I think, really, it’s important to talk about it. It’s important to be transparent. Obviously, I didn’t know anything, as no one, you know, 20 years ago would have known anything.”
Radziwill, a former TV news producer who was married to John F. Kennedy Jr.’s cousin and best friend, the late Anthony Radziwill, has said she did not know Epstein. In a March interview with The New York Times, Radziwill said she was friends with Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted co-conspirator of Epstein, in the early 2000s for “five or six years.” Maxwell did not speak to her about Epstein, she told the Times.
“It’s hard to think that someone you knew that long ago, even called a friend at some point, was a horrible, horrible person doing horrible things,” Radziwill said at the Sept. 1 event.
The release of the files made her nervous at first, she said, but later believed it was an opportunity to talk about it.
“There (are) real victims and survivors that were brave enough to really stand up to these very, very powerful people,” she said.
Radziwill appears to address the Epstein files on the new season of “RHONY”; a trailer for Season 16, premiering on Bravo Sept. 8, sees Radziwill when confronted with questions from a fellow cast member.
Ariana Brockington is a trending news reporter at TODAY digital. She is based in Los Angeles.
Bryanna Cappadona is a managing editor for TODAY based in New York City. She writes on books, reality TV, internet personalities and, of course, Taylor Swift. She hails from Boston (go Pats!) and is perpetually searching for a good bagel.
