Carl Radke has been candid about the ups and downs in his sobriety — all of which are captured on Summer House.
The Pittsburgh native has been on the Bravo hit since its 2017 premiere. After four seasons of drunken antics with his costars, he got sober in spring 2020. Radke started drinking again, however, ahead of production on season 5 in summer 2020.
“I basically got sober from March [2020] until the middle of June. Going into the season, I was feeling really good,” he recalled to Us Weekly in February 2021. “I learned a lot about myself; I don’t have to drink to be fun or to be the cool guy. … And I certainly had some other things I was working on personally and it’s just better to work on those when you’re sober. So, I went in this summer thinking moderation was going to be my friend. I felt really good about that. I will say, it’s hard being in the house with everybody and having all these different things going on.”
Radke noted that he had “some drinks here and there” as he tried to find a balance.
“It’s surprising, but up until a couple of years ago, I had a lot of social anxiety when I’m in big groups,” he continued at the time. “I would drink to kind of loosen up and I think a lot of us do that. But it was when I was drinking past that point and becoming someone that didn’t really want to be around. … [My costars] just want me to be happy. I told myself going into the summer, if I had a game plan of when I was going to drink, have one or two [and] turn it off or if I have more than that to make sure you mix waters in.”
During the production of season 5 in August 2020, Radke learned his brother Curtis died of a drug overdose. Months later, he hit his “lowest” point and got sober in January 2021.
“It was obviously very traumatic and very difficult. I mean, I was mic’d up. It’s a crazy experience,” he told Entertainment Tonight in April 2021 after the episode where he learned of Curtis’ passing aired. “It’s put a lot of perspective in my life and what’s important. My brother hated me on Bravo. We kind of had a beef, because I was on Bravo looking like I’m the man and drinking and having fun, and he’s at home struggling. And I was kind of making light of his challenges and acting like I was fine, and I wasn’t. I was low-key struggling. That caused a big rift between us. So the fact that I’ve had to face it now, [and] he’s now on the show in some capacity was surreal, but I think his story truthfully can help a lot of people, and I hope mine as well.”
The reality TV personality marked one year of sobriety in January 2022.
“I made a commitment to try and get sober because I have a family that has addiction,” he told CNN in April 2022. “When you go through the depths and the scariness that I had, it’s obviously very hard because it’s scary to tell your friends and your family, like, ‘Hey, I got a problem. I’m not gonna drink. And can you support me?’”
Radke’s costar and now-fiancée, Lindsay Hubbard, was sober for several months to help him amid struggles leading up to the holidays in late 2021. When they filmed season 7 in summer 2022, Hubbard drank in moderation.
“It’s been amazing having a partner and a friend and a lover who has been very understanding and accommodating and supportive. It’s not easy to be in a relationship with someone who has the challenges that I have, and I forget that sometimes,” he told Us in February 2023. “I’ve always wanted her to do what’s best for her and honestly, her having a glass of wine with her aunt or having a Loverboy with whoever, I fully support that. I think it’s all about communication and understanding, you know, what works for each other and it’s a constant conversation.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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Scroll through for more from Radke on his sober journey: