Candace Bushnell, the creator of Sex and the City, is getting real about the show’s most famous couple. While millions of fans watched Carrie Bradshaw finally get her happy ending with Mr. Big, Bushnell says that in the real world, their romance wouldn’t have survived. In a new interview, the author explains why the “gettable guy” theory doesn’t always work and how her own real-life experience with the man who inspired Mr. Big proved that some love stories are better left on screen.
The Real Story Behind Carrie and Mr. Big
For decades, fans have debated whether Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big were meant to be. The couple’s on-again, off-again relationship spanned six seasons of the hit HBO series and two movies, finally culminating in their marriage. But Candace Bushnell, now 67, has a different perspective.
In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE published on February 14, 2026, Bushnell shared her honest thoughts about the iconic pair. “Mr. Big, he was an ungettable guy,” Bushnell said. “In real life, Carrie and Mr. Big would not be together, but in the TV world, they are, because it’s like Pride and Prejudice. People were watching these two characters go back and forth for six seasons and they wanted a happy ending.”
Bushnell drew a comparison to classic literature to explain the decision. “Would Elizabeth Bennett have ended up with Mr. Darcy in real life? Who knows? Probably not,” she added.
The Man Who Inspired Mr. Big
The character of Mr. Big wasn’t pulled from thin air. He was based on a real person from Bushnell’s past: Ronald Galotti, a former publishing executive at Condé Nast who helped shape magazines like Vanity Fair and Vogue during the 1990s. Bushnell first introduced the character in her New York Observer column, which later became the foundation for the TV series.
Bushnell and Galotti met in 1995 at a fashion show, according to a 2025 profile in The New York Times. At the time, both were entering new chapters—Galotti had just split from his second wife, and Bushnell was launching her now-famous column. They dated for about a year and a half before Galotti ended the relationship and married his wife, Lisa Galotti, soon after.
Bushnell has always been open about the inspiration. “He was one of those New York guys with a big personality—you just notice him as soon as he walks in the room,” she told New York Magazine. “I called him Mr. Big because he was like a big man on campus.”
Despite the painful breakup, Bushnell holds no hard feelings. Reflecting on their time together, she told More Magazine in 2003 that she was “crazy about him” back then. In the 2025 New York Times profile, she simply said, “He’s a really nice guy, that’s the truth.”
Galotti also shared his side of the story with the Times. “She was a great girl,” he said. “We had a great time, and there was no future attached to it. And there was never intended to be. I never was deceptive. I never said I loved her.”
How Much of Carrie Bradshaw Is Really Candace Bushnell?
Bushnell has always been clear that Carrie Bradshaw was her on-screen counterpart, especially in the early days of the series. In another interview with People published the same day, she discussed her one-woman show, where she breaks down which storylines came from her real life.
“Originally, Carrie Bradshaw was basically me, and that’s one of the things that’s a big part of the show,” Bushnell explained. “The show is pretty Sex and the City–oriented. I talk about my Charlotte, my Samantha, and my Miranda.”
She added that audiences are often surprised to learn how closely the show mirrored her own experiences. “Certainly at the beginning,” she said. “I didn’t end up with my Mr. Big. I do tell that story about our breakup.”
During her stage show, Bushnell includes a segment called “Real or Not Real,” where she reveals which plot points actually happened in her life. The exercise helps audiences understand that while the show was fictional, it was rooted in very real emotions.
Carrie’s Search for Love vs. Candace’s Practical View
One major difference between Bushnell and her famous character is their approach to love. Bushnell described Carrie as someone who was “all about love” and “really wanted love.” She pointed to a line from early in the series where Carrie says she wants “all-consuming love.”
Bushnell, however, takes a more grounded view. When asked about that kind of romance, she responded with a simple “eh.”
“I don’t know. I’m probably much more cynical. It may be practical,” she admitted.
That practical mindset likely comes from living through the real-life version of the story. While Carrie got her fairy-tale ending with Big in the 2010 movie, Bushnell’s real-life romance with Galotti ended without a Hollywood-style reunion.
Fans Have Always Questioned the Relationship
The debate over whether Carrie and Big should have ended up together isn’t new. Even during the original run of Sex and the City, which aired from 1998 to 2004, viewers were divided. Some saw Big as the love of Carrie’s life, while others viewed him as emotionally unavailable and toxic.
That debate reignited in 2023 during season 2 of the reboot, And Just Like That… In one episode, Carrie shockingly asked her friend Miranda Hobbes, “Was Big a big mistake?” The line sent fans into a frenzy.
Social media exploded with reactions. One fan wrote on Twitter, “CARRIE BRADSHAW. We did not spend six seasons, two movies, an entire season of the reboot of you grieving him for you to ask this question.” Another shared, “Not ashamed to admit that I cried when Carrie said Big was a mistake. It hurt. A lot.”
Others cheered the moment. “I waited SO LONG to see carrie finally admit that choosing big was a mistake and SHE FINALLY SAID IT,” one person wrote.
Love Experts Weigh In on the Big Debate
The question of whether Mr. Big was right for Carrie has even caught the attention of relationship professionals. In February 2025, love expert Dr. Zhana Vrangalova analyzed both of Carrie’s major relationships—with Big and with Aidan Shaw—for Swooon.
Dr. Zhana acknowledged that Big’s behavior during the early years wasn’t great. Despite their deep connection, he spent most of the courtship emotionally unavailable, which often triggered Carrie’s emotional outbursts. Aidan, on the other hand, was more emotionally available but couldn’t provide the excitement Carrie craved. He also entered her life when she wasn’t fully over Big.
However, Dr. Zhana stopped short of calling the relationship a mistake. Instead, she suggested that both men were right for Carrie at different stages of her life. Big fit her unsettled years as a young single in New York, while Aidan’s return later in life aligned with her desire for comfort and stability after Big’s death.
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What Bushnell Thinks About the Show’s Lasting Impact
While Bushnell is clear that Carrie and Big wouldn’t have made it in real life, she remains grateful for the show’s impact—especially on younger generations. With Sex and the City now streaming on Netflix, new audiences are discovering it every day.
“It’s always been a rite of passage watching Sex and the City,” Bushnell said. She recalled how young women would bond over the show when they went off to college, watching DVDs or catching reruns on channels like E!
“I have so many young women who come up to me and they’ve discovered it and they relate to it,” she shared. “The technology of dating has changed, but the realities and the longing and the strange encounters that one has, that hasn’t changed.”
She added that many women tell her the show helped them through difficult times. “There’s so many stories about dating and it’s something that people are just so inherently interested in. It doesn’t really matter what age you are. They’re always interested in how to maneuver these intimate relationships.”
Bushnell also noted that the show’s themes remain relevant. “That’s really the best thing about it is that it’s been inspiring to so many people, and that’s really very rewarding.”
The And Just Like That… spinoff continues to explore Carrie’s life, with season 3 expected to release in the coming months. Aidan Shaw will return, and based on set photos, their relationship won’t be without drama.
For now, Bushnell’s message is clear: sometimes the love stories we cherish on screen are better left in the fictional world. Real life, with all its complications and practicalities, rarely follows the same script.
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