Real Housewives of Potomac star Karen Huger has been charged with driving under the influence. Montgomery County Police told TMZ that officers stopped Huger late Tuesday night in Potomac, New Jersey, after she was spotted driving her Maserati in “an aggressive manner,” crossing a median and hitting several street signs.
According to People, police said no one was injured in the crash, though in a statement to TMZ on Wednesday, Huger said that she was “hurt, bruised up a bit, but so grateful I am alive!” She claimed the car that was heading her way “just drove away.” In addition to a DUI, Huger is facing a slew of other charges, including driving while impaired; endangering property, life, and person; and driving a vehicle on the highway with suspended registration. Her court date has yet to be announced.
Huger told TMZ that the incident was the result of her still grieving her mother’s death. Her mother and father died in 2017, within seven months of one another, something she has discussed extensively on the show. “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 to TMZ.
She added that before getting in the car, she had an emotional dinner with a friend that led her to cry while driving. “I was crying on my way home and saw a car heading right for me. I swerved to avoid the head-on collision, hit the divider, and then a tree.”
At 60, Huger — who has been on RHOP since its first season in 2016 — has styled herself as the wise, older woman on the series. A fan favorite for her candor and humor, she refers to herself as “the Grande Dame of Potomac” and a figure who younger cast members can turn to for advice. Cameras weren’t rolling, but this will no doubt be a talking point in the show’s ninth season.
The Cut has reached out to reps for Huger and we will update this post when we hear back.