Karen Huger is opening up about her wake-up call - one that, along with her faith, has helped guide her on her journey to move forward.
The“Real Housewives of Potomac” star's life came to a head in March 2024 after being involved in a car accident, in which officials said at the time she "crossed a median and struck street signs.” Following the incident, Huger was arrested and later found guilty of driving under the influence, among other charges. Body camera footage was also released, showing the reality star making statements that left fans online confused and disappointed.
Huger, known as "The Grande Dame" on "RHOP," was eventually sentenced in February 2025 to two years in jail, with one year of the sentence suspended. She was notably absent
from "RHOP's" 10th season, which aired from October 2025 to March 2026, as a result of her sentencing, but was released from jail early last September.
She then appeared in the Season 10 reunion of "RHOP," which included a special sit-down with Andy Cohen where she spoke about her struggles with alcohol and antidepressant prescription pills, as well as grappling with ongoing trauma since her teenage years.
Reflecting on the last two years in an interview with USA TODAY, Huger, 63, calls the released DUI footage "a reckoning" that helped turn her life around.
"I didn't recognize addiction. You don't recognize yourself when you see yourself in that addictive mode," she says. “It was a call to wake up."
"I am grateful that I saw the footage, now that I look back on it, because I emerged as a healthier version of myself," she continues, "at peace and doing wonderful things with my family that I certainly am grateful for, and so grateful that no one was hurt other than me in that accident.”
“Addiction is not something that happens overnight. It is progressive," Huger adds. "And so that night was just the night that it happened. It all collapsed."
Karen Huger on jail time bringing a 'gift'of healing
Huger served her prison sentence at a jail in Montgomery County, Maryland. On the first night of sitting in a cell, she recalls feeling "a lot of gratitude to be inside."
"See, when you're sick, you're just grateful," she says. "No matter where the peace comes from, it's that you're at peace. I had time to reflect. I had time to face. I had time for accountability. I had time to heal. And that's a gift."
Huger talks about navigating sobriety, future book plans
Now, just over a year after her release, Huger is focusing on exercise, meditation, and therapy. She's also planning to write a book about her journey to recovery, including everything from her DUI to taking accountability.
"That's all in the book. I spent a lot of time working on myself while I was away," she shares. "And I talk about the process of facing yourself in the mirror and then forgiving yourself and getting healthier and moving on."
One of Huger's most difficult realizations was seeing how she affected her family. In Season 10, cameras caught the moment she hugged and reunited with her husband Ray, her daughter Rayvin, and her younger sister, Bridget. Huger's son Brandon appeared in another scene.
"I think for me, the hardest thing was the pain I took my family through, not being able to be there for them, and also facing what had happened," she explains, crediting her family for helping her throughout the process. "Thank you to my children, first and foremost, who soldiered for me, took over my businesses, came to see me and held my hand, loved on me."
Huger's return to 'RHOP': 'I was ready for the girls'
"RHOP" Season 11 premieres on Bravo Sunday, Oct. 11. The trailer teases the fallout from Huger's DUI, including hints that her relationship with Ray may be on the rocks. Though she returns to the show alongside familiar cast members (Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Wendy Osefo and Stacey Rusch), she says she was prepared to be potentially grilled.
"I was ready for the girls. I had given myself and called on my higher power to help me understand the addiction," she says. "Any questions that they had, I welcomed them."
As for what fans can expect in Season 11, Huger says she is an open book when it comes to sharing her testimony.
"I share the good about my life," she notes. "I'm going to share the negative, too, because that is why I'm successful as a reality TV star. And I'm so grateful for that.
"It's a hard lesson … to share that because it was not just my pain. It was my children's pain. It was my husband's pain. It was my extended family's pain. Anything I went through, they went through too," she adds. "So speaking to it is my responsibility, and I will do that."
Contributing: Brendan Morrow, Jay Stahl, USA TODAY
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Karen Huger gets candid about DUI 'reckoning,' returning to 'RHOP' Season 11 | Exclusive
