Is Carrie Bradshaw Based On A Real Person? Remembering The Iconic Character As 'Just Like That' Finale Airs

Carrie Bradshaw, the iconic columnist and central figure of Sex and the City, was not a work of pure fiction. She was based on a real woman who wrote openly about life, sex, and heartbreak in New York City.

That woman was Candace Bushnell, the author and journalist whose own columns inspired a global franchise. As the final episode of And Just Like That aired, the real-life story behind Carrie Bradshaw's origin came sharply back into focus.

In 1994, Candace Bushnell began writing a newspaper column for The New York Observer under the title Sex and the City. The column explored the romantic lives of thirty-something women in Manhattan, with Bushnell using the name 'Carrie Bradshaw' as a pseudonym. She later admitted that the alias was chosen to keep her conservative parents from reading about her sex life.

The columns were compiled and published in 1996 as the book Sex and the City. That same year, television producer Darren Star approached Bushnell to adapt the book for TV. By 1998, HBO had aired the pilot episode, with Sarah Jessica Parker stepping into the heels of Carrie Bradshaw.

From Book To Screen: How Much Was Fiction?

Much of the early material for the Sex and the City series came directly from Bushnell's columns and experiences. Stories like the infamous 'Valley of the Twenty-something Guys' episode were drawn from real dates, such as a man who told Bushnell about dreaming he had huge hands inside something called a 'Killavator'. The character of Mr Big, Carrie's on-and-off love interest, was also based on someone real — and even used the line 'absof**kinglutely', just as in the show.

Bushnell was involved in the TV adaptation's early stages, attending castings and reviewing scripts. She was present for the filming of the pilot and helped select Sarah Jessica Parker for the role. However, she later had to step back from production after being told off for being a 'backseat director'.

Life After Carrie: Bushnell's Reality Mirrors The Show

Candace Bushnell continued writing after the success of Sex and the City, often returning to the subject of relationships and dating in later life. Her 2019 book, Is There Still Sex in the City?, looked at what happens when women in their 50s start dating again after divorce or long-term relationships. She described it as a confusing and often frustrating experience, particularly when navigating modern dating apps like Tinder.

Unlike Carrie, who often had a love interest, Bushnell's recent work questions whether romance is necessary to live a fulfilling life. She has spoken about the emotional toll of dating culture and how it has changed in the age of online profiles. Still, she maintains that the best way to meet someone is through friends — something she and her peers did before smartphones and social media.

'And Just Like That' Finale Brings Carrie's Story Full Circle

In the final episode of And Just Like That, Carrie ends her relationship with Aidan and finishes her new book — a historical romance partly based on her life. In a clear statement of independence, she chooses to be alone, noting that her character was not 'alone', but 'on her own.'

This ending reflects a shift not only in the character's journey but perhaps in Bushnell's too. Over nearly three decades, the Carrie Bradshaw figure has mirrored Bushnell's evolving views on love, freedom and ageing. As Sarah Jessica Parker wrote in a farewell post, 'Carrie Bradshaw has dominated my professional heartbeat for 27 years. I think I have loved her most of all.'