Carole Radziwill reportedly didn’t ease back into The Real Housewives of New York world without a little controversy. A new report claims Sai De Silva repeatedly questioned Carole about her past connection to Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, while filming the upcoming Season 16.
The former Housewife appeared on RHONY from Seasons 5 through 10 before leaving the series in 2018. Now, her return as a “friend-of” is reportedly generating fresh drama. The issue allegedly became an ongoing source of tension between her and Sai throughout filming.
The Jeffrey Epstein scandal has allegedly been dragged into The Real Housewives of New York
According to TMZ, Sai made a point of bringing up Carole’s name being included in the Epstein Files while cameras were rolling. Sources claimed Sai questioned Carole about her past friendship with Ghislaine.
Carole already addressed her connection to Ghislaine earlier this year. Speaking to The New York Times in March, she said, “Imagine knowing someone … and then they turn out to be, like, a monster.”
The connection goes back years. Ghislaine even shot the author photo that appeared on Carole’s 2005 memoir, What Remains.
According to the sources, the topic didn’t just come up once. Sai allegedly continued pressing Carole about it throughout filming. The report claims Sai felt she needed to address the issue because she’s a mother.
The disagreement reportedly stretched throughout the season, with sources alleging the women continued butting heads after Sai first raised the topic. Although principal filming has wrapped, the cast is still reportedly completing confessionals.
The sources also claimed producers wanted Carole back full-time. However, a production insider alleged she passed on the opportunity because she wasn’t interested in the demands that come with being a full-on apple holder.
Of course, Carole is no stranger to RHONY drama. Her fallout with Bethenny Frankel played out both on and off the show. She later traded barbs with Andy Cohen after her departure, though they’ve since reconciled. If this report is accurate, it sounds like Sai may have joined that list.
Season 16 of The Real Housewives of New York is expected to premiere on Bravo and Peacock in late 2026 or early 2027.
TELL US — DO YOU THINK SAI WAS RIGHT TO QUESTION CAROLE ABOUT HER PAST CONNECTION TO GHISLAINE MAXWELL?
