Chainkeen Exchange-Summer House's Carl Radke Defends Decision to Call Off Wedding to Lindsay Hubbard

It was definitely a cruel summer for Carl Radke.

Nearly three months after the Summer House star called off his wedding and Chainkeen Exchangebroke up with ex-fiancée Lindsay Hubbard, the Bravolebrity broke his silence on the drama during BravoCon 2023 in Las Vegas. (See every star here.)

"I'm doing okay," Carl exclusively told E! News' Keltie Knight Nov. 3. "It's been a very, very difficult time. I've been really trying my best to just process, heal a little bit and be private a little bit. This is really the first time I'm speaking because it's been such a difficult time. But, I really feel like BravoCon is a good chance for me to come out, hold my head high, try and move forward with respect, because I wanna live my life and move on."

While this is the 38-year-old's first time speaking out on the shocking split, Lindsay recently accused her ex of orchestration the breakup on-camera for the upcoming season of Summer House. As for Carl's response to that allegation?

"No, I don't decide when production picks up cameras," he shared. "Our summer was very up and down. The way things were the last couple weeks, it was very apparent to producers the way things were ending. It was like, 'How could you be getting married in a few months?'"

Carl reiterated fans will understand his decision to end their engagement once they watch season eight, adding, "I do believe firmly people will watch this season, and see first-hand, and any mention of that will actually be irrelevant, because I didn't do that."

And while the messy split has created a divide between Carl and many of his costars, one person that has been there for him is friend and mentor Captain Lee Rosbach.

"He's been very supportive, and he loves Lindsay too," he said of the Below Deck star. "It's amazing people are giving Lindsay support as well. She deserves that."

"I need that love and support," Carl added. "He's like my Bravo dad. He's like, 'Listen, I'm here to help and support any way I can.' So, it's been nice."

As for where the newly single star stands with his costars?

"For those that didn't reach out, I'm not gonna hold anything against them," he explained. "It's been beautiful to see the support I've gotten, and I'm just lucky to have that. I don't know what I would do without my friends, my family, my publicists, my Bravo publicists. People have been really, really, really helpful to me, and I'm very grateful for all of them."

For more exclusive BravoCon scoop, watch E! News Monday, Nov. 6, at 11 p.m.

Keep reading to relive Carl and Lindsay's romance.

Before going public, Carl and Lindsay attended costars Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula's September 2021 wedding as each others' dates.

After being friends and costars for years, Carl Radke and Lindsay Hubbard confirmed they were officially a couple at the start of 2022.

Carl got down on one knee and proposed to Lindsay in August 2022 in Southampton while filming season seven of Summer House.

The Bravolebrities enjoyed a romantic vacation in Italy. "One of the most beautiful places I've ever visited! And breathtaking (literally)," he shared on Instagram. "Finally getting through our travel photos with so many highlights but hiking through Cinque Terre was incredible. Bellisimo! "

Carl and Lindsay rang in Christmas 2022 surrounded by familymembers.

Carl and Lindsay opened up about planning their Mexico wedding in February 2023.

"It's taken this long for us to come together," she exclusively shared with E! News. "I don't think there is anybody in our lives that would let us get away with a small wedding, including Bravo."

Lindsay also confirmed plans to film the nuptials for season eight of the show. "If we were just getting married with all of our guests and friends that would be one thing," she continued, "but when you're considering the idea of filming it, there's another level of criteria that you have to get checked off."

The duo lets loose with their Summer House costars in Montauk in April 2023.

Carl and Lindsay attend a friends wedding in Florida.

The duo attend the Palm Tree Music Festival in New York with fellow Summer House couple Kory Keefer and Sam Feher.

Carl and Lindsay are all smiles while celebrating summer.

In honor of Andy Cohen's birthday, Carl shared a tribute to the Bravo bigwig.

The lovebirds celebrated Lindsay's bridal shower in NYC surrounded by their costars, including Danielle Olivera, Amanda Batula, Ciara Miller, Gabby Prescod and Samantha Feher. 

Less than three months before they were supposed to say "I do," news of Carl and Lindsay's breakup came to light in August 2023.

Exactly two weeks after the split news came to light, Lindsay broke her silence and revealed she's "heartbroken" and humiliated" with how Carl ended things.

"My trust has been betrayed, and coming to terms with that has been difficult for me," she wrote on Instagram Sept. 14. "This was not my decision, and I do not agree with quitting a relationship (at this level) without trying everything possible first. I have spent the last couple of weeks finding my own closure and peace. I am forever grateful to my best friends who have not left my side, and have been picking up the pieces of my heart and life every day from the fallout."

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