Carl Radke Says His Brother Is ‘Protecting’ Him 4 Years After Death

Carl Radke’s brother may have died four years ago, but the Summer House star still feels his presence daily.

As he prepares to open his much-talked-about sober bar, Soft Bar + Café, Carl opens up about how his brother’s death from a heroin overdose still affects him.

Carl Radke Says His Brother Is A ‘Big Reason’ He Is Still Here

“He’s a big source of inspiration and strength. I’m just living, trying to do the right things to honor him and not forget about him because he’s a big reason why I’m still alive,” Carl told People while discussing his new business venture.

Carl’s brother Curtis was just 40 years old when he died on August 10, 2020, after what the Summer House star described as “a lifelong battle with mental illness and addiction.”

The heartbreaking moment was caught on Bravo cameras as Carl broke the news to his best friend at the time, now his former fiancée, Lindsay Hubbard.

When Curtis died, Carl was struggling with his own addictions to alcohol and cocaine.

His brother’s death was not the wake-up call many thought it would be. Instead, it pushed Carl further out of control.

In January 2021, Carl realized he could no longer continue living with his addictions after a night of boozing and using drugs alone in his apartment. He entered a program and has been sober ever since.

Carl’s Sobriety Inspired His Latest Business Venture

Lindsay may have shot down Carl’s idea for a sober bar when they were engaged, but now that they have both moved on, the Summer House star is plowing ahead.

“This isn’t a ‘sober bar.’ This is a space for everyone,” he continued.

“I want to break the stigma, in a way,” he added. “It can be hard, when you don’t drink alcohol, to navigate socializing at night without having a drink in your hand. But I want everybody to feel that they can walk into Soft Bar and feel empowered because they have something for themselves.”

 

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Carl Radke And Lindsay Hubbard Are Both Returning To Summer House After Their Split

Carl and Lindsay’s split may have been one of the nastiest to air on Bravo, but that has not stopped both stars from returning to the show for Season 9.

After they called off their wedding, Lindsay quickly moved on and, within months, was expecting a baby with her new boyfriend.

Cohabitating with her ex led to some “drama,” Lindsay recently confirmed.

“There’s a little drama because you don’t just act like everything is fine and nothing happened,” she said. “There are past and residual feelings that come up that you need to address … but for the most part, I think it’s been OK.”

When Summer House returns for Season 9 in 2025, fans can learn all about Carl’s new bar and see what really goes down between him and Lindsay.