Real Housewives Star Karen Huger Released Early After DUI Conviction

Karen Huger, the 62-year-old star of Real Housewives of Potomac, was released from the Montgomery County Detention Center after serving six months of a one-year prison sentence for a DUI conviction related to a March 2024 high-speed crash in Bethesda, Maryland. She was found guilty on multiple charges including driving under the influence, negligent driving, and failure to notify authorities of an address change, but acquitted of reckless driving. Police bodycam footage showed Huger visibly intoxicated, and she admitted to being drunk during the incident, though she initially refused to watch the footage. Huger's early release was reportedly due to good behavior, but has sparked criticism and questions about whether her celebrity status influenced the leniency. The judge at sentencing emphasized the severity of her alcohol use and rejected defense pleas citing personal grief and struggles with anti-depressants. Following her release, Huger remains on probation for five years, is banned from driving for 12 months, and has a history of multiple prior alcohol-related offenses.