NEED TO KNOW
- Karen Huger was charged with driving while intoxicated after she crashed her car in March 2024
- The Real Housewives of Potomac star was found guilty of almost all the charges and was sentenced to two years in prison in February 2025
- Huger received an earlier release date and was freed from prison on Sept. 2, 2025
Karen Huger is out of prison.
The Real Housewives of Potomac star has been out of jail since September after she served six months behind bars for driving under the influence. In March 2024, Huger was arrested after she crashed her car into a street sign while driving intoxicated.
She was later charged with a DUI and DWI, negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life and person and recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property, among other charges.
In December, a jury found Huger guilty on all charges except reckless driving. She was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison, with one year suspended, and reported to prison immediately afterwards in February 2025.
Although her sentence was initially set for one year behind bars, she was released after just six months on Sept. 2. While Huger didn’t film season 10 of the Real Housewives of Potomac, executive producer Andy Cohen teased that she could be back, and the season premiere showed her prison release.
Here’s everything to know about Karen Huger’s DUI case, her sentencing and prison release.
Huger was arrested and charged with a DUI and DWI after crashing her car in March 2024
Huger’s legal troubles began on March 19, 2024, when she was arrested after crashing her Maserati into a median and swerving off the road just a few miles from her house in Potomac, Md., according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE at the time.
She was officially charged with driving a vehicle while impaired by alcohol and driving while under the influence of alcohol, negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life, and person and recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.
Her other charges included failure to control vehicle speed on the highway to avoid a collision, driving a vehicle in excess of reasonable and prudent speed on the highway, driving a vehicle on the highway with suspended registration and failure to notify administration of change of address within 30 days.
After Huger’s guilty verdict, various local news outlets obtained police body cam footage showing the aftermath of Huger’s accident and officers interrogating her. In the video, Huger appeared visibly intoxicated and struggled to speak coherently.
At one point during the arrest, Huger said that she did not remember what happened and encouraged officers to “talk to my husband,” referring to Ray Huger. She later agreed that she “had a couple of beers or something like that.”
Once officers took her to the police station, Huger struggled to walk up the stairs and referred to herself as “Thomas Jefferson’s concubine.” She later referenced her Real Housewives life by calling herself the “Grand Dame” and asking if they knew who Cohen was.
Huger later shared that she did not watch the footage until she had to during her trial and said that she “didn’t recognize that woman.”
Huger was found guilty of all charges — except reckless driving — in December 2024
Although Huger unsuccessfully attempted to dismiss her DUI case, she stood trial for her charges and was found guilty on all charges except reckless driving in December 2024.
“Although we are disappointed in the jury’s verdict, we of course respect their decision and appreciate their time hearing our case,” her attorney, A. Scott Bolden, told PEOPLE at the time.
Bolden added, “We continue to reserve Mrs. Huger’s right to an appeal and intend to fully pursue justice on her behalf. We appreciate your support and prayers for Mrs. Huger and her family at this time.”
After her arrest, Huger entered a recovery program
Shortly after Huger was found guilty and before she was sentenced, Huger entered a recovery program in Florida for her alcohol and antidepressant usage.
“Karen made the important decision to enter a private recovery program, so was unable to attend the reunion taping today,” Huger’s manager, Ryan Tresdale, explained to PEOPLE in January. “She was fully supported in this choice. We stand behind Karen as she embarks on this meaningful journey and are proud of her for taking such a significant step forward in her personal growth.”
Huger later explained her decision to enter the program and clarified that while it was “not court-ordered,” she was “doing this for me.”
“What happened to me, I don’t want that to ever happen to me again,” she said in a clip aired during the Real Housewives of Potomac season 9 reunion.
Huger skipped The Real Housewives of Potomac season 9 reunion
Huger, who has been a cast member on the Real Housewives of Potomac since season 1 in 2016, did not attend the season 9 reunion nor did she film season 10. When the season 9 reunion was filmed in January 2025, Huger was seeking treatment at a facility.
However, after she was found guilty and before she left for her treatment, Huger spoke about the incident in a pre-taped segment aired during the reunion.
“No, I’m not an alcoholic, let’s be clear,” Huger said in a clip that aired in February. “This is very frightening but I accept full responsibility for everything that went on with my car accident. I don’t care about me right now. I care about my children, I care about my family. They are so hurt.”
Later on in the reunion, she opened up about the ordeal with Ray and said that the trial and watching the body cam footage helped her accept what she did.
“Dots are being connected for me,” she said. “I keep saying, ‘Surely they made a mistake, right? Because everything’s not connecting to me.’ And I watched and I’m telling you… I didn’t recognize that woman. I didn’t know her. … But it helped me to hear that because I blacked out before the impact.”
Huger served six months in prison and was released early on Sept. 2, 2025
After a court found Huger guilty of almost all the charges, she faced her sentencing in a Montgomery County Circuit Court on Feb. 26, 2025. Huger appeared with Ray and was sentenced to two years in prison, with one year suspended.
The judge further ordered Huger to serve five years’ probation. Huger was immediately taken into custody.
In August 2025, PEOPLE confirmed that Huger had gotten a new early release date and was scheduled to walk out of prison after six months.
On Sept. 2, Huger was released from the Montgomery County Detention Center in Maryland. Since her release, Huger has not spoken about returning home or her time behind bars.
Andy Cohen said he “hopes” Huger will return to The Real Housewives of Potomac
After Huger was released from prison, fans were eager to see if she’d be returning to the Real Housewives of Potomac. When TMZ asked Cohen if she would be coming back to the show, he replied, “I hope so!”
Although the tenth season was filmed without Huger, a preview released ahead of the season premiere showed Huger being released from prison. The sneak peek included audio of Huger telling herself “it will be fine” as a vehicle picks her up.
“I’m good, thank you,” she said after the driver asked how she was doing. “Do we have tissues in here? Thank you so much.”
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