RHONY's Carole Radziwill Grilled Over Epstein Friendships

Carole Radziwill recently confided in fellow "Real Housewives of New York City" castmate Erika Hammond about her discomfort with Sai De Silva's persistent questioning regarding her past friendship with Ghislaine Maxwell and her appearance in the Jeffrey Epstein files. Radziwill felt as though De Silva was treating her like a "criminal," expressing shock and frustration over the interrogative nature of their conversations.

During an October 13th episode, De Silva had directly asked Radziwill about her ties to Epstein, including whether she had visited his infamous island. Radziwill clarified that while she knew Maxwell, she never met Epstein and that her friendship with Maxwell had naturally faded over time, describing Maxwell as a "social climber" with whom they "drifted apart."

This past friendship has become a recurring point of contention. De Silva continued to press, suggesting their past messages indicated a closer bond. She eventually apologized for potentially offending Radziwill but stated her need to "know everything," particularly as a mother concerned about her teenage daughter. Radziwill directly asked De Silva if she suspected her of being involved in an international sex trafficking ring, to which De Silva admitted her questioning stemmed from not knowing Radziwill's affiliations.

In the October 20th episode, Radziwill countered by referencing a post on De Silva's Substack about a wealthy man, referred to as "Daddy Warbucks," who allegedly gave her $10,000 to help with a move. Radziwill expressed her own curiosity about De Silva's past but stressed that she wouldn't make accusations. Later, during a beach conversation, De Silva acknowledged her "judging immediately" approach. Radziwill, a former reporter, stated she understood curiosity but emphasized her lack of knowledge regarding Epstein's activities.

The irony of the situation was not lost on Radziwill when De Silva revealed "Daddy Warbucks" was involved in a $133 million Ponzi scheme, a situation De Silva claimed ignorance of. Radziwill pointed out the similarity to her own experience with Maxwell, feeling it hypocritical to be judged by someone with a comparable, albeit different, past.

Despite De Silva's acknowledgment that Radziwill was right and their "air cleared," she again asked if Radziwill had ever visited the island, to which Radziwill emphatically said "No." Radziwill later expressed intense frustration in a confessional, feeling misunderstood and unfairly targeted.

Looking ahead, previews for the remainder of Season 16 show escalating tension between the two, with Radziwill confronting De Silva about yelling her name and De Silva asserting that Radziwill, as a journalist, should understand the act of asking questions.

Radziwill previously told USA TODAY in August that she anticipated these discussions and was prepared to address them, viewing her past friendship with Maxwell as not particularly close. She emphasized her focus on the victims of Epstein and Maxwell rather than dwelling on old associations, stating that people often focus on "low-hanging fruit" while missing larger truths.