Carl Radke, known for his role on Summer House, is set to release his memoir, Cake Eater, on December 30, 2025. The book promises to be a raw and unfiltered look into his life, covering his childhood, struggles with addiction, and journey to sobriety. Radke has been sober since January 2021.
A Look Inside Cake Eater
The memoir's title, Cake Eater, is a term Radke heard frequently growing up in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He explains that in Upper St. Clair and surrounding areas, a "Cake Eater" is known as "a privileged upper-middle-class person who is handed everything."
Radke's journey has been far from easy. He has experienced family struggles, including his parents' divorce and his brother Curtis's battle with addiction. The book will delve into these difficult moments, offering readers a glimpse into the challenges he has faced.
Family Matters
Radke has been open on Summer House about his family's challenges. He recalls a bittersweet moment when his mother remarried, and his brother Curtis and his family were absent due to a family argument. "I remember feeling torn that day - happy for my mom finding love again, but heartbroken that our family couldn’t all share in it together," he wrote.
In the summer of 2020, Radke's brother Curtis passed away from a heroin overdose. This tragic loss was captured on Season 5 of Summer House, with viewers witnessing the moment he received the devastating phone call from his mother. In an excerpt from Cake Eater obtained by People, Radke recounts the morning he learned of his brother's death, describing the overwhelming emotions he experienced. "Aug. 11 was the day my world stopped spinning. A voice inside me whispered, “It’s about Curtis,” before I even answered," he wrote. "When I picked up, my mom’s voice was shattered. The kind of pain only a parent losing a child could have."
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Embracing Sobriety
A major theme in Radke's memoir is his journey to sobriety. He has been sober since January 2021 and hopes his story will inspire others facing similar challenges. He discussed his addiction issues in a February 2025 episode of The Viall Files podcast. The book’s synopsis states that “each chapter dives into the hard-earned lessons he’s gathered, proving that life can be fulfilling-even without a drink.”
The "First Steps" to Sobriety
Radke shared his personal journey to sobriety as part of Men's Health's "First Steps" series. He reflected on his early experiences with alcohol, noting that while he initially disliked it, he eventually developed a pattern of binge drinking, especially during his time in college and later in New York City. "I developed this complex where I thought I was the man after like two whiskeys or a couple beers and a line of coke," he admitted. "That would be the ultimate Carl. I'm on point, funny, I'm interesting, I'm intelligent-but then it wouldn't be two whiskeys anymore. It would be like, I need five whiskeys and an 8 ball."
Radke acknowledged that Summer House initially exacerbated his drinking habits. "My first couple seasons I did a lot of screwed up things. I was a total fuckboy. I talked to multiple girls. I was partying a lot. It made me drink more." He realized he needed to make a change after filming season four.
The turning point came during the pandemic and after his brother's death. Despite the initial shock and grief, Radke continued to struggle with alcohol and cocaine. He described his rock bottom as January 6th, 2021, the day of the Capitol riot. "I crushed like three bottles of red wine. I ordered cocaine. Sat there on the couch, watched the news, and drank three more bottles of red wine." The next morning, he woke up with intense remorse and anxiety, realizing he could no longer continue down that path. "What kind of person am I if I GRIEVE the loss of MY BROTHER that OVERDOSED by doing COCAINE and DRINKING all the time?" he asked himself.
A Path to Recovery
Radke outlined the steps he took to begin his recovery:
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- Called a sober friend: He reached out to a friend who had experience with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
- Found a sponsor: His friend introduced him to a sponsor, with whom he spoke daily for an hour, reading AA literature and discussing the 12 Steps.
- Attended meetings: He attended in-person and virtual AA meetings, introducing himself as an alcoholic and connecting with others in recovery.
- Sought therapy: He discussed his struggles with a therapist.
- Practiced mindfulness: He used the Calm meditation app.
- Exercised and spent time in nature: He incorporated daily workouts and long walks into his routine.
- Read books on sobriety: He educated himself on addiction and recovery.
- Focused on one day at a time: He emphasized the importance of small, consistent efforts.
Radke emphasized the importance of being mindful of "people, places, and things" during early recovery and surrounding oneself with supportive, sober individuals.
A New Perspective
Radke has found a new sense of self through sobriety. "Now, I'm not clouded with drugs or alcohol. Maybe I'm a little more boundary driven or shy, but it's me. And that's a cool thing for people to actually like me for me, because I wasn't always comfortable with myself." He hopes to inspire other men to embrace sobriety and challenge the notion that alcohol is necessary for confidence and strength.
Radke believes that open and honest conversations about sobriety can encourage others to seek help. "If I can make one person that watches Summer House or one person that follows me get sober, get help, feel less alone, make a call to check in on a friend, that is what it's all about."
Radke shared his story with TODAY, reflecting on how watching himself on Summer House helped him realize he had a problem. "Being on this show forces you to have tough conversations with yourself and with other people,” he said. The pandemic provided an opportunity for self-reflection, leading him to recognize the need for change.
He also addressed the challenges of maintaining sobriety while on a show centered around partying. "People say, 'How are you involved in a show where there’s a lot of drinking?' And my response is, 'If I were drinking, I wouldn’t be there.'" He believes that being on reality TV, with the constant self-evaluation it demands, ultimately helped him get sober.
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Staying the Course
Radke emphasizes that sobriety is an ongoing journey. "It’s a constant journey. What has worked for me personally is having a sponsor and finding sober people I can relate to." He draws inspiration from other public figures who have shared their experiences with sobriety and mental health.
Radke stresses the importance of facing the underlying issues that contribute to addiction. "I don’t know how I ever would have stayed sober had I not had a sponsor, had I not connected with other sober people, had I not read books about sobriety, had I not done the work on my internal self. Why do I drink? Why am I angry? Why am I sad? I had to face that."
His daily routine includes attending meetings, meditating, and reciting a mantra to stay focused on his goal: "Don’t drink today."
Recommended Reading for Sobriety
Radke recommends the following books for those on a sobriety journey:
- The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life, and Achieve Real Happiness
- Healing the Shame that Binds You
- High Achiever: The Incredible True Story of One Addict's Double Life
- Drinking: A Love Story
- Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
- Alcoholics Anonymous