Carl Radke is opening up about his experience being sober on reality television. The Summer House star made the decision to quit drugs and alcohol in January 2021, following a night of partying that he describes as his “rock bottom” moment. Reality Tea recently caught up with Carl on Wednesday, April 15, at Soft Bar, his non-alcoholic bar and cafe in Brooklyn, where he hosted a discussion-based event in honor of Alcohol Awareness Month.
The Reality of Resilience event featured a discussion led by Carl, Laguna Beach star Jason Wahler, and Bachelorette alum Zac Clark. The men engaged in a vulnerable conversation about their sobriety journeys and how they dealt with public scrutiny. Carl spoke to Reality Tea about his journey to sobriety in the public eye and how it impacted his experience filming Summer House.
Here’s what you need to know.
The Summer House star says “you can still have fun” while being sober
Carl told us that getting sober has allowed him to be more present when filming Summer House.
“I started on reality TV drunk, coked up, Adderall, all the things. Anybody who has watched seasons one through four of Summer House, I’m sorry,” he said. “People ask me all the time, ‘How do you not drink and do Summer House?’ And the response is always [that] I wouldn’t be doing Summer House if I was drinking because I wouldn’t be there. It’s given me a lot of freedom to really show up, to film, and be a part of our show.”
He added that sobriety doesn’t make you boring, saying, “I might be less messy or less crazy, but sober people can be d*cks too. Sober people can still have emotions.”
He did acknowledge that alcohol plays a big role on shows like Summer House. However, he is hoping that changes in the future.
“Reality TV is definitely a weird animal,” he said. “Some of the best reality TV has been fueled by alcohol. And I’ve been a part of some of that. But I think as our society has evolved, and the [conversations about drinking] are shifting … It’s been amazing to be in the position that I am, [and] show that you can still have fun and not drink alcohol.”
Summer House airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo. It streams on Peacock the following day.
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