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Bethenny Frankel Addresses Carole Radziwill's Ties to Ghislaine Maxwell
The former 'Real Housewives of New York City' stars have a complicated history.
Feb. 8, 2026 at 8:55am
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Bethenny Frankel has spoken out about her former 'Real Housewives of New York City' co-star Carole Radziwill's reported past friendship with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. Frankel acknowledged that Radziwill has been 'friendly with many notable women' but said she won't 'do the same' in terms of speaking negatively about Radziwill post-show. Radziwill has previously addressed her social connections to Maxwell, stating that she was unaware of Maxwell's criminal activities at the time.
Why it matters
The revelations about Radziwill's ties to Maxwell have raised questions about how much Radziwill and others in her social circle may have known about Maxwell's involvement in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring. Frankel's comments highlight the ongoing tensions between the two former 'Housewives' stars, whose friendship famously fell apart during their time on the show.
The details
In recent documents released by the Justice Department, emails purportedly show casual exchanges between Radziwill and Maxwell in 2005, with Maxwell describing Radziwill as 'the most wonderful, the most beautiful, the smartest, the best, the brightest.' Radziwill has acknowledged knowing Maxwell socially at that time, saying Maxwell had a camera and took some photos for Radziwill's book 'What Remains.' Radziwill has denied any knowledge of Maxwell's criminal activities with Jeffrey Epstein.
- In September 2025, Carole Radziwill addressed her connections to Ghislaine Maxwell on X.
- In June 2022, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of sex trafficking-related charges.
The players
Bethenny Frankel
A former star of 'The Real Housewives of New York City' who had a falling out with her co-star Carole Radziwill.
Carole Radziwill
A former 'Real Housewives of New York City' star who has faced scrutiny over her past social connections to convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
Ghislaine Maxwell
A convicted sex trafficker who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2022 for her role in Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking ring.
What they’re saying
“What I do know is that Carole has been friendly with many notable women.”
— Bethenny Frankel
“Sure rich men, creepy people... obvs the men who were involved knew...I'm saying the social party friends especially us girls — we didn't know. When people are doing bad s*** they hide it well. It's f***ing creepy.”
— Carole Radziwill
The takeaway
This case highlights the complex social connections and potential blind spots that can exist, even among high-profile individuals, when it comes to uncovering criminal activities. It also underscores the ongoing tensions and rivalries that can linger between former reality TV stars long after the cameras stop rolling.
