Author of Sex and the City Shares the Real-Life Story Behind Charlotte’s “Crabs” Scene

Since Sex and the City aired in 1998, fans have been wondering how much of the show is inspired by author Candace Bushnell’s own life. Bushnell has admitted that many aspects of Sarah Jessica Parker’s character Carrie Bradshaw were taken from her own experiences. However, the stories of Samantha (Kim Cattrall), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon), and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) also come from Bushnell’s life or the lives of people she knows.

In a recent episode of Kristin Davis’ podcast Are You a Charlotte?, Bushnell shared a story she had never told before. It was about a scene from the show where Charlotte gets pubic lice.

Davis asked Bushnell if the incident in Season 2, where Charlotte gets crabs, was based on a real-life event. Bushnell confirmed it, but with a few differences.

“Yes, it happened, but not exactly like it did on the show,” Bushnell explained, before sharing her personal experience. She talked about having a roommate who was often involved with men, and one day, her roommate came home with crabs.

Davis asked, “Did you get crabs from your roommate?” Bushnell laughed and said, “Yes, I did.”

Davis responded with, “Oh, that’s bad!” Bushnell nodded and said, “They can spread through towels, and no one tells you that.”

Davis agreed, saying, “That’s a really important point people don’t know.”

Bushnell mentioned she hadn’t meant to share this story but felt it was a good chance to teach listeners. She explained that crabs are different from head lice, as they can be spread through more intimate contact, like using shared towels. While crabs are most often passed through sexual contact, they can also be transferred in other ways, such as sleeping on a dirty futon.

For more stories from Bushnell’s life, you can listen to the full episode of Are You a Charlotte?