One of reality TV’s biggest stars just received a pretty devastating legal blow — and naturally, the internet has some thoughts. Karen Huger, known affectionally on The Real Housewives of Potomac as the “Grande Dame,” has officially been found guilty of a DUI and other crimes, months after her headline-making car crash last March.
According to TMZ, a jury convicted the reality star of seven of the eight charges brought against her, including “driving under the influence, negligent driving, failing to control her vehicle’s speed to avoid a collision and failing to notify authorities of a change of address.” The RHOP star is set to appear in court Jan. 29, and is facing up to two years in prison.
“Although we are disappointed in the jury’s verdict, we of course respect their decision and appreciate their time hearing our case,” a statement from her attorney A. Scott Bolden, obtained by TMZ, reads. “We continue to reserve Mrs. Huger’s right to an appeal and intend to fully pursue justice on her behalf. We appreciate your support and prayers for Mrs. Huger and her family at this time.”
Of course, the RHOP fans immediately went to social media with their reactions not only to the conviction news, but the body camera footage obtained by various outlets showing Huger’s interactions with law enforcement that night.
“After watching the body cam footage, there’s no way Karen Huger thought she was going to get a “not guilty” verdict,” one user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. The current season of RHOP captured Huger’s legal battle ahead of the decision on Wednesday — she repeatedly told her cast mates that she hopes for “justice” to prevail and maintaining her innocence.
In one of the now-viral body cam footage videos, Huger is seen telling law enforcement that she is “Thomas Jefferson’s concubine.” For some, the footage has almost been too much to watch. One user wrote, “I’ve been scrolling past each “scene” of Huger’s DUI footage. I’ll watch about a minute of each video, but the second hand embarrassment is tew much! #RHOP.”
Others have some serious thoughts about Huger’s decision to get behind the wheel at all, while questioning those who may have been with her that night. A user wrote in a post, “Who was she with? Who let her leave like that? Why did no one suggest an Uber for her? She could have killed herself or someone else!”
Another user shared a similar sentiment, writing, “I just want to know who Karen was with before she drove home, bc whoever saw she was that drunk and let her drive home is not her friend. Ain’t no way any of my friends would let me leave and drive that intoxicated.”