Carl Radke is out here playing the cryptic card, and honestly? It’s kind of working. The Summer House star gave what might be the most carefully worded non-answer I’ve heard in a while when asked about his ex Lindsay Hubbard hooking up with Below Deck’s Joe Bradley. And look, I get it – the man’s got a reality show to promote.

The Art of Saying Everything While Saying Nothing

“You’ll see next season on Summer House, and possibly on Below Deck, some other things [that happened],” Carl told Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” podcast. Which is basically code for “I know things but I’m contractually obligated to keep my mouth shut until cameras are rolling.” It's the kind of strategic reveal that would make even a hot mic confession look unplanned.

But here’s where it gets interesting. When directly asked if Lindsay’s been talking to Joe, Carl went with “Quite possibly!” Complete with what I’m assuming was either a knowing smile or that look people get when they’re desperately trying not to spill tea they’ve been explicitly told not to spill.

The thing is, Carl’s actually being pretty mature about the whole situation. At 41, he’s not out here throwing shade or acting territorial. Instead, he’s talking about how they were “wing-manning” for each other, which – not gonna lie – is kind of sweet? I mean, how many exes can actually hype each other up after a breakup without it being weird?

When Your Ex Becomes Your Wingman (And Vice Versa)

Carl’s describing their current dynamic as friends, and it sounds… surprisingly healthy? “Where we are right now, it’s so good,” he said. “The chemistry we’ve always had is great. But now as friends it is so cohesive.”

I’ve seen a lot of messy reality TV breakups in my fifteen years covering this stuff, and this isn’t that. This is two people who clearly still like each other as humans, which is refreshing. They’re apparently back to doing what they did before they dated – being each other’s wingman, having each other’s backs, the whole nine yards.

Carl confirmed that Lindsay’s been “talking to someone else” while he’s focusing on his career. Which tracks, because after everything that went down between them, they both probably need to just… do their own thing for a bit.

The Below Deck Connection

Now about this Joe Bradley situation. We know Lindsay and Joe have been hooking up – that much has been confirmed. And Carl’s hint about things possibly showing up on Below Deck? That’s the kind of crossover event Bravo executives probably dream about.

What’s fascinating here is that Carl seems genuinely okay with it. There’s no bitterness in his tone (at least from what I can tell from the quotes), no passive-aggressive digs. Just a guy who’s moved on and is letting his ex do the same.

Reading Between the Reality TV Lines

The entertainment industry loves a good “cryptic comment,” but Carl’s actually being smarter than that. He’s acknowledging what’s happening without giving away plot points. He’s maintaining his friendship with Lindsay while respecting whatever NDA Bravo’s got them all signing. And he’s keeping people interested in tuning in next season. He's negotiating the post-breakup narrative with the same careful precision as NeNe figuring out What It'll Take to Bring Her Back to RHOA.

“We were talking and doing our own thing. [Lindsay] was wing-manning [for me]. I was wing-manning [for her]. Which is fun because when we were friends, that’s what we did.”

That quote right there tells you everything you need to know about where these two are at. They’ve circled back to what worked – the friendship. The romance didn’t pan out, but the foundation they had? That’s still there.

What This Actually Means

Look, I’m cynical enough to know that some of this is calculated for ratings. But I’m also human enough to recognize when two people are genuinely trying to do right by each other after a relationship ends. Carl could’ve been petty about the Joe situation. He could’ve thrown shade or acted hurt or made this whole thing awkward.

Instead, he’s out here being supportive and cryptic in equal measure, which honestly might be the most mature response possible when you’re contractually obligated to save the drama for your television show. Will we get all the details next season? Probably. Will it be messier than Carl’s making it sound right now? Almost definitely. But for now, this is about as good as post-breakup PR gets in the reality TV world.

And if nothing else, it’s going to make for some interesting television when Summer House comes back. Because you know Bravo’s editors are already salivating over whatever footage they’ve got of Carl and Lindsay navigating this new dynamic while she’s getting cozy with someone from another franchise. That’s the kind of content that keeps people watching.