Carl Radke Remembers Late Brother 4 Years After Death: 'I Live with a Lot More Purpose Because of Him' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Carol Radke at BravoCon 2023.Photo:Rich Polk/Bravo via Getty

Rich Polk/Bravo via Getty

It’s been four years sinceCarl Radke’s olderbrother Curtis Radke died of a heroin overdose, but theSummer Housestar still feels his presence.

“He’s with me every day,” Carl, 39, tells PEOPLE while discussingSoft Bar + Café, the non-alcoholic establishment he’s aiming to open in Brooklyn, New York this January. “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.”

Curtis died on August 10, 2020from a heroin overdoseafter what Carl called “a lifelong battle with mental illness and addiction.” He was 40 years old.

At the time of his death, Carl was in the grips of his own battle with addiction, abusing alcohol and cocaine. And while some might imagine that Curtis' death would have been a wake-up call, it had the opposite effect on Carl, driving him to spiral more and more out of control.

It wasn’t until January 2021 when after a blackout night of drinking and doing cocaine in his apartment alone, Carl woke up and realized he couldn’t live like that anymore and needed to get help. He entered program, got a sponsor, worked the steps and has remained sober since.

Carl Radke at the launch for Soft Bar + Café.Current Media Company

Current Media Company

In the following years, Carl has become an inspiration for others with similar demons, using his platform onSummerHouseto discuss his experience in recovery. He’s now taking that to the next level, opening a non-alcoholic bar for those who “want to be somewhere that won’t compromise their lifestyle.'

“This isn’t a ‘sober bar.’ This is a space for everyone,” he tells PEOPLE. “Yes, if you’re sober, this is the place for you. But it’s also for those who embrace a healthier way of life without alcohol. It’s a place for pregnant women to go out; for friends who want to be social without the hangover in the morning; or for people who are curious about taking a break from drinking, but don’t know where to start.”

“I want to break the stigma, in a way,” he adds. “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 on ‘Summer House’.Bryan Bedder/Bravo

Bryan Bedder/Bravo

It’s a noble concept, and one Radke says he wishes Curtis could enjoy.

“I didn’t start Soft Bar for my brother. I started it for people like my brother. But yeah, I’m sad that he’s not here to see it,” Carl says. “I can envision him coming into the bar, wearing a Soft Bar hat, giving me a hard time because he can’t some a cigarette inside. He’d feel at home here, I think.”

He smiles, and gets emotional. “I just feel like my brother’s up there protecting me and looking out for me,” Carl says. “It’s just been really special to have his energy helping me get through all this. And if he were to look down on everything I’m doing, I know he’d be pretty happy.”

And though SoftBar will be one way Carl remembers Curtis, he tells PEOPLE he always finds special ways to connect with him including making visits tothe tree he planted in February 2022 on what would have been his brother’s 42nd birthday.

“It’s in Sag Harbor and I’ll go there, listen to music, talk to him,” Carl says. “It helps me feel connected.”

In October, the family buried Curtis' ashes. “My uncle, my mom’s only brother, had passed away and we went up to Connecticut and buried my brother’s ashes with him and my grandparents,” Carl shares. “My uncle was a Marine and the military, so we had the military procession and the 21 gun salute. It’s hard for me not to cry when I talk about it because, it was just a very surreal, having my brother there with my uncle. But in a weird way, I have a place I can go visit. And my brother’s with family now, so he’s being protected there.”

All this has allowed Carl to keep Curtis' memory present. “I can’t believe it’s been four years,” Carl says. “But the connection I feel to him now is so strong, I comforted in knowing that it’ll only remain that way as time passes on.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

source: people.com