RHONY's Carole Radziwill is speaking out about her past connection to Ghislaine Maxwell.
When the subject ofCarole Radziwill'sconnection to Ghislaine Maxwelland her inclusion in the Epstein files arose onThe Real Housewives of New York CitySeason 16, she took the opportunity to set the record straight amid swirling questions from her fellowcast members.
The Real Housewives of New York City After Show Podcastis streaming on Peacock.
Warning:This article contains mentions of sexual abuse.
OnThe Real Housewives of New York City After Showfor Season 16, Episode 6, Carole said that it had been "so hard to navigate" how to properly address her past friendship with Ghislaine, who is currently serving a 20-year prisonsentence"for her role in a scheme to [sexually] exploit and abuse multiple minor girls with Jeffrey Epstein over the course of a decade," according to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York's office.
"On the one hand, I don't want to be dismissive about it," theRHONY'Wife explained, adding that she also wanted to avoid taking a "defensive" stance. "It's just, like, I can't be more transparent in this."
Read on for everything Carole said about Ghislaine and the Epstein files onRHONY.
Carole said that "mutual friends" introduced her to Ghislaine amid a solo trip to London shortly afterher late husband, Anthony Radziwill, died in August 1999. While abroad, Carole received an unexpected phone call from Ghislaine, who expressed her condolences and offered to have some of her UK-based friends take her out for dinner. Afterward, Carole and Ghislaine also frequently crossed paths in the New York City social scene.
Carole Radziwill during The Real Housewives of New York Season 16 Episode 2.
"In the early 2000s, it would be strange if you didn't go out to a big event in New York and Ghislaine wasn't there," Carole told aRHONYproducer. "I was friendly with her. We had a couple mutual girlfriends. And when I would see Ghislaine, it would always be with these mutual girlfriends."
As Carole clarified, however, "She was never one of my close friends."
RELATED: Everything to Know About Carole Radziwill (RHONY Journey, Relationship History, Career & More)
During theRHONYcast trip toMoskito Island, Carole insisted, "I never knew Jeffrey Epstein. I never heard of him. Ghislaine never spoke about him." Not only had she "never met him," Carole also confirmed that she had never visited "Epstein Island," aka Little Saint James, either. In fact, Carole said that she was glad that the late Epstein wasarrestedand charged with sex trafficking of minors in July 2019.
"When Jeffrey Epstein was arrested back a couple years ago, I thought, 'Good. F--k him. Like, he got what he deserved,'" Carole told her castmates.
Futher addressing Epstein on theRHONY After Show, she reiterated, "I didn't know anybody," other than Ghislaine.
