‘Real Housewives of New York” star Carole Radziwill’s life has, at times, come closer to Greek tragedy than grand comedy. In the summer of 1999, she lost her 40-year-old husband, Anthony, to cancer, and their closest friends — Anthony’s cousin John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife Carolyn — in a plane crash. Radziwill, 50, wrote about that painful summer in her 2005 memoir, “What Remains.” She turns to humor (albeit of the gallows variety) with her latest, “The Widow’s Guide to Sex and Dating,” out Feb. 11. In the novel, protagonist Claire Byrne — reeling from her husband’s death — learns to navigate a strange, sad and often hilarious new world without him. The Post sat down with Radziwill, who never remarried, to talk about life, love and Liam Neeson.
I heard that Christiane Amanpour gave you the title of your book. How did that happen?
Yes! She’s a very old friend. One night at dinner, years ago, we were talking about dating, and I was telling her these stories and she said, “Write this all down and keep a journal. You can call it the ‘Widow’s Guide to Sex and Dating.’ ”
Your book covers topics like death and grief in a funny, tongue-in-cheek manner. What are your tips for women entering the dating game after a long time, be it through widowhood or a divorce?
Make yourself the center of your life. When he shows up 20 minutes late for a date, you shouldn’t still be there. The more you treat yourself with that kind of respect, the more men respect you.
Any other dating rules?
Never have sex with a man until he thinks he’s in love with you. Notice I didn’t say, “IS in love” — I said “THINKS he’s in love!” Men fall in love in an instant — sometimes, they fall in love with the idea of a woman before they meet her. Sex is powerful.
If you met someone who had lost her husband recently, what advice would you give her?
An older widow I befriended gave me a good piece of advice about losing my “widow virginity” [i.e., having sex for the first time after your husband’s death]: She said, “Do it quickly and out of town.” That’s what I tell people now.
You’ve called Liam Neeson the metaphor for the perfect man. Why?
We had been introduced [at a party]. We were talking, and a man walked behind me and bumped me. Without missing a beat, [Neeson] said, “Watch where you’re walking, or I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” I swooned! Then he very sweetly took me to the side of the room where it wasn’t so crowded.
And what can we look forward to on the next season of “RHONY”?
This season [which premieres March 11 on Bravo] there will be the usual screaming, crying and drinking. At certain points, Ramona Singer emerges as the voice of reason. When Ramona Singer is the voice of reason, you know you have a bats–t crazy season.
Are you seeing anyone now?
Yes. But the best thing about new relationships is that no one knows about them. Rule #1: Stay low, go slow.