Carole Radziwill is embracing her tabloid turn with open arms.
The “Real Housewives of New York City” star, 61, celebrated her Friday the outlet cover on Instagram by posting a photo of the print edition and declaring the moment a “fever dream.” Radziwill, who first appeared on Seasons 5 through 10 of the Bravo series before returning this year for Season 16 after an eight-year absence, seemed unfazed by the unflattering headline about her parking record.
“I’m on the cover of my hometown paper?!” she wrote in her Instagram caption Friday.
The cover story detailed what the paper called her “parking menace” ways, citing 17 parking violations for failing to move her red Jeep and roughly $8,000 in accumulated tickets. The report also noted that her SUV was spotted near her Soho apartment with an expired FDNY union placard on the dashboard and two Con Edison traffic cones visible inside.
Radziwill addressed the scrutiny directly in her social media post, turning potential embarrassment into a boast.
“I ♥️ the traffic cops. I ♥️ my city and I ♥️ the outlet,” she continued in her caption. “(Btw, I only overslept 17 times in 6 years? I deserve a 🗝️ to the city) Beep, beep, bitches. 🚗🚗”
She added a practical clarification for followers, noting that she’s “paid every dollar of those tickets” and expressing support for the Department of Sanitation.
The parking habits aren’t new territory for viewers of the current season. During a confessional on Season 16 of “RHONY,” which is now airing, Radziwill openly discussed the cones she keeps in her vehicle.
“The cone is a cop family hack,” she said during the on-camera interview. “If I’m parked illegally or slightly too close to a hydrant, they will keep on walking.”
The Post’s reporting put a broader number on her traffic history, stating the journalist and author has accumulated 83 traffic violations over the past four years, with most categorized as parking-related offenses.
Radziwill’s return to the franchise after nearly a decade away has already generated several talking points this season. Her name appeared in the Epstein files, which became a storyline, and she has defended her late friend Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy on camera.
The new season features returning cast members Sai de Silva, Erin Lichy and Jessel Taank alongside Radziwill. Newcomers include Hailey Glassman, Erika Hammond and Daisy Toye, who has worked as Martha Stewart’s longtime makeup artist.
The former ABC News producer, who won three Emmy Awards during her journalism career and wrote the memoir “What Remains,” initially left the show after Season 10 in 2016. Her comeback marks one of the longer gaps between appearances for a “Housewives” cast member.
“The Real Housewives of New York City” airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo, with episodes available to stream the following day on Peacock.