What did Karen Huger do? All about her DUI sentence and prison release

Karen Huger has been released from prison.

The Real Housewives of Potomac star has been out of prison since September after serving six months for drunk driving. In March 2024, Huger was arrested for crashing his car into a road sign while driving under the influence.

She was subsequently charged with driving under the influence and driving under the influence, operating a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life or person, and operating a vehicle recklessly with willful disregard for the safety of persons or property.

In December, a jury found Huger guilty of all charges except reckless driving. She was then sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for one year, and reported to prison shortly thereafter in February 2025.

Her sentence was initially set at one year in prison, but she was released on September 2 after just six months. Huger did not take part in filming Season 10 of The Real Housewives of Potomac, but executive producer Andy Cohen teased that she might return, and her release was announced in the season premiere.

Here’s everything you need to know about Karen Huger’s DUI case, her sentence, and her release.

Huger was arrested and charged with DUI and DUI after crashing his car in March 2024.

Huger’s legal troubles began on March 19, 2024, when he was arrested just a few miles from his home in Potomac, Maryland, after crashing his Maserati into a median and veering off the road, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE at the time.

She was formally charged with driving a vehicle while impaired by alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life or person, and driving a vehicle recklessly and recklessly with willful disregard for the safety of persons or property.

Her other charges include failing to control the speed of a vehicle on a highway to avoid a collision, driving a vehicle in excess of a reasonable and prudent speed on a highway, operating a vehicle on a highway with a suspended registration, and failing to notify authorities of a change of address within 30 days.

After Huger’s conviction, various local news outlets obtained police body camera footage showing the aftermath of Huger’s accident and officers questioning her. In the video, Huger appeared visibly intoxicated and had trouble speaking coherently.

At one point during the arrest, Huger said she didn’t remember what happened and suggested the officer “talk to my husband,” referring to Ray Huger. She later agreed, saying, “I had a few beers or something.”

When 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 she knew who Cohen was.

Huger later revealed that she had not seen the footage until she had to watch it during the trial, saying, “I didn’t recognize that woman.”

Huger was found guilty in December 2024 on all charges except reckless driving.

Although Huger unsuccessfully tried to have his DUI case dismissed, he went to trial on the charges and was found guilty on all charges except reckless driving in December 2024.

“While we are disappointed in the jury’s verdict, we of course respect their decision and appreciate them taking the time to hear our case,” her attorney A. Scott Bolden told PEOPLE at the time.

Mr. Bolden added, “We continue to reserve Mrs. Huger’s right to appeal and fully intend to pursue justice on her behalf. We appreciate everyone’s support and prayers for Mrs. Huger and her family at this time.”

After his arrest, Huger entered a recovery program.

Immediately after his conviction and before sentencing, Mr. Huger entered a recovery program in Florida for alcohol and antidepressant use.

“Karen was unable to participate in today’s reunion taping because she made the important decision to enter a private recovery program,” Huger’s manager Ryan Torresdale explained to PEOPLE in January. “She fully supported this choice. We are rooting for Karen as she embarks on this meaningful journey and are proud of her for taking such an important step in her personal growth.”

Huger later explained her decision to join the program, saying that while it was “not a court order,” she was “doing it for me.”

“What happened to me, I never want anything like that to happen again,” she said in a clip that aired during the Real Housewives of Potomac Season 9 reunion.

Huger absent from ‘The Real Housewives of Potomac’ Season 9 reunion

Huger, a cast member of Real Housewives of Potomac since Season 1 in 2016, did not attend the Season 9 reunion or film Season 10. When the Season 9 reunion was filmed in January 2025, Huger was seeking institutional treatment.

But after his conviction and before heading to treatment, Huger spoke about the incident in a pre-recorded segment that aired during the reunion.

“No, I’m not an alcoholic. Let me be clear,” Huger said in the video, which aired in February. “This is very scary, but I take full responsibility for everything that happened in the car accident. It doesn’t care about me right now. I care about my children, my family. They are hurting so much.”

During a subsequent reunion, she opened up about her ordeal with Ray, saying that watching the trial and body camera footage helped her come to terms with what she had done.

“The dots are connecting for me,” she said. “I always say, ‘Sure they made a mistake, right? Because everything wasn’t connected to me.’ And I was watching, and I’ll tell you… I didn’t recognize that woman. I didn’t know her. … But I passed out before the impact, so it helped to hear it.”

Huger served a six-month sentence and was granted early release on September 2, 2025.

Huger was sentenced in Montgomery County Circuit Court on February 26, 2025, after a court found him guilty on nearly all charges. Huger appeared in court with Ray and was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for one year.

The judge also ordered Huger to serve five years’ probation. Huger was immediately taken into custody.

In August 2025, PEOPLE confirmed that Huger had obtained a new early release date and was scheduled to be released from prison in six months.

On September 2, Huger was released from the Montgomery County Detention Center in Maryland. Since his release, Huger has not spoken about his return to the country or his time in prison.

Andy Cohen says he ‘hopes’ Huger will return to ‘The Real Housewives of Potomac’

After Huger was released from prison, fans were eager to see if she would return to The Real Housewives of Potomac. When TMZ asked Cohen if he planned to return to the show, Cohen replied, “I hope so!”

Season 10 was filmed without Huger, but a trailer released prior to the season premiere showed Huger being released from prison. The sneak peek included audio of Huger telling himself, “It’s okay,” as a car picks him up.

After the driver asked her how she was doing, she replied, “I’m fine, thank you.” “Do you have tissues here? Thank you.”