Already have an account?
Get back to the

Carole Radziwill of Real Housewives of New York City Dated Ralph Fiennes, Romance Inspired New Novel

Carole Radziwill
Carole Radziwill talks her romance with Ralph Fiennes exclusively with Us

Add a second handsome thespian to Carole Radziwill‘s little black book! The Real Housewives of New York City star—who famously dated George Clooney—also had a summer romance with English actor Ralph Fiennes. On the July 8 episode of the hit Bravo reality show, the author hinted that a passage in her new book, The Widow’s Guide to Sex and Dating, was inspired by her real-life romance with The Grand Budapest Hotel actor.

Related: PHOTOS: Before they were Real Housewives

“It was long ago and far away … over a summer I was living in London,” Radziwill, still striking at 50, tells Us Weekly exclusively of her time with Fiennes. While sending out early copies of her novel on Tuesday’s episode, the Bravo star briefly mentioned a scene in the book which the actor would clearly recognize as a time they had together, “[But] our relationship was not the basis for a storyline in my novel,” she tells Us. “But like most fiction, stories are a pinch of the writer’s experience and a part their imagination.”

Carole Radziwill - book cover

The widow of Anthony Radziwill, whose aunt was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, tells Us the scene in her book alluding to Fiennes recounts a time when she met up with the Skyfall actor at a local bookstore.

Related: PHOTOS: Housewives' biggest feuds

“I hadn’t seen Ralph for some time and heard he was in town,” she recounts to Us. “I left a note at his hotel. It was a copy of a note that Sam Beckett had once written to a friend. I knew Ralph would get the reference. He’s very intelligent, you know. That note and the subsequent meeting at the bookstore was loosely detailed toward the end of the book. I’m afraid that is all I will say. Wink.” 

Related: PHOTOS: Celebrity sex confessions

“I’d forgotten I had used his full name in the show,” the slender brunette concludes to Us, “I saw him a few months ago and he said the book was on his bedside table…He’s an insatiable reader.”

In this article

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!