In the high-stakes world of The Real Housewives of Potomac, it’s not often that we see the women reveal such raw, vulnerable moments. But during the season 9 reunion, fans were hit with a surprise — a never-before-seen clip featuring Karen Huger, the iconic “Grand Dame,” reflecting on her DUI arrest and the heartbreaking bodycam footage that came with it. The clip, which aired on March 2, 2025, revealed a deeply personal side of Karen that left viewers speechless.
Karen Huger, 61, has been through a tumultuous year. Just days before the reunion aired, she was sentenced to two years in prison for her fourth DUI conviction following a 2024 car crash. In the unreleased footage from the day before her arrest, Karen opened up to her husband, Ray Huger, about watching her own DUI bodycam footage for the first time.
“I didn’t recognize that woman,” Karen confessed as she watched herself on screen. “I didn’t know her… but it helped me to hear that because I blacked out before the impact.” Her candid admission sent shockwaves through the room — and viewers at home — as she recalled the events leading up to her car accident and arrest.
“Dots are being connected for me,” she continued. The emotional weight of the moment was not lost on her. She had never watched the footage before, only hearing about it from others, but the reality of what had happened started to become crystal clear as she saw herself stumbling, slurring, and confessing to police that she had “a couple of beers.”
For Karen, the path to this moment was paved by years of self-medication, a result of her struggle with grief and depression after the loss of her parents. She explained to Ray, “I started taking antidepressants after my parents died seven years ago… it was fine at first, but then I needed more and more as life kept life-ing.” Unfortunately, that led her to increase her dosage, eventually turning to alcohol to cope. “It was like a snowball,” she said, describing how everything spiraled out of control that night.
“What happened to me was self-inflicted. I drove. I had that accident. I put people in danger,” she said. Yet, while Karen appeared to be taking accountability, her Potomac co-stars were less convinced. Gizelle Bryant, in particular, called out Karen for her apparent lack of accountability, asking, “How about what you were drinking?!”
Still, there was a sense of solidarity within the group. While they were skeptical of Karen’s motivations, they also expressed their support for her efforts to seek help. “No matter how she gets there, at least she’s getting help,” said Stacey Rusch, a sentiment that was echoed by the rest of the group.
In the final moments of the clip, Karen shared her plans for the future: to step away from the persona of “The Grand Dame” and reintroduce herself as just Karen Huger. “I’m going to retire the Grand Dame and give the world a dose of Karen Huger,” she declared, showing a newfound sense of self-awareness and strength. “Because I think she’s enough; in fact, I know she is.”
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