“Real Housewives of Potomac” star Karen Huger gets 2-years sentence for DUI

The Real Housewives of Potomac star Karen Huger has received a prison sentence of two years after being charged with a DUI last March.

The New York Times reports that one year of the sentence has already been suspended, so Huger will likely only serve a year in prison. Huger is additionally ordered to pay a $2,900 fine, she is prohibited from driving for a year following her release, and for an additional five years must undergo supervised probation with interlock, a system which prevents a vehicle's engine from starting until the driver clears a miniature breathalyzer test.

Reps for Huger did not immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment.

Related: The Real Housewives of Potomac star Karen Huger charged with DUI after Maryland crash

Officers from the Montgomery County Police Department first responded to a single-vehicle collision on the evening of March 19, 2024, following reports that a 2017 Maserati had sped over the median of a Potomac-area street and struck several signs. Huger was taken into custody, cited, and subsequently released.

Following the arrest, Huger was found guilty by a Montgomery County jury in December of several offenses, including driving while impaired by alcohol, driving under the influence of alcohol, negligent driving, failure to control speed to avoid a collision, and an unrelated charge of failure to notify authorities of an address change. She was acquitted on one count: reckless driving.

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The reality star explained the incident as a consequence of the recent passing of her parents in a statement shared to TMZ the day after. "Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes during this very frightening experience. I am still in shock from last night's incident, but grateful to be alive today. With the passing of my beloved mother, grief comes and goes in waves, and with Mother's Day approaching it has felt more like a tsunami," she said.

The incident became a central storyline in the current season of RHOP. Huger has starred on the series for nine seasons, since the very beginning.

Huger has been involved in three previous alcohol-related offenses, one which she commented on in 2016. "I pulled over. Technically I wasn't driving, I was pulled over into a parked area where you should not park. I turned off the car and I called my husband. However, the teddy bear cops found me first, and I collected my DUI," she told the gossip site Bossip.

Related: Breaking down the Beyond the Gates premiere — including that Real Housewives cameo and punch

Huger recently appeared on the premiere episode of CBS' new daytime drama Beyond the Gates, which aired on Monday. She delivered the climactic closing line, "Welcome to Fairmont Crest!" moments after one character punches a character standing next to Huger at a country club.

She did not however attend the taping of RHOP's season 9 reunion in January. One of her reps, Ryan Tresdale, explained that "Karen made the important decision to enter a private recovery program, so was unable to attend the reunion taping today. 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."

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