Karen Huger Says She Turned Down ‘RHUGT’ to Protect Her Sobriety: “Take It Slow”
The Grande Dame says Bravo offered her a spot on Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th, but she chose to prioritize her recovery before returning to RHOP full-time.
Karen Huger is explaining why The Real Housewives of Potomac OG won’t be one of the Housewives hitting the road for Bravo’s massive 20th-anniversary celebration.
While attending the New York premiere of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th on Tuesday, August 4, Huger revealed that she was offered the opportunity to participate in the series but ultimately declined because of her sobriety.
“The offer was made,” Huger told Us Weekly. “I thought for my sobriety, ‘Take it slow,’ because I was planning on coming back to [RHOP for] season 11, and I didn’t want to overdo it.”
Instead, Huger said she wanted to ease herself back into the Bravo world while continuing to focus on her recovery.
“I’m very proud to be a part of this family, and I earned my place to be [in] it,” she added, praising Bravo for respecting her decision to “stay low for a minute and continue to heal.”
Karen’s Road Back to Potomac
The decision carries additional weight considering what Huger has experienced over the last two years.
Huger was convicted following her March 2024 DUI crash and ultimately served six months behind bars before being released in September 2025. Before her sentencing, she also entered a private recovery program, which caused her to miss the RHOP Season 9 reunion.
Earlier this year, Huger spoke more openly about addiction and acknowledged that she had previously been in denial about the severity of her situation. She said watching footage from the night of her arrest became a major turning point in confronting what happened.
Now, she says sobriety remains a priority even as the cameras begin rolling again.
Huger confirmed she plans to return for Season 11 of The Real Housewives of Potomac and said her castmates initially “didn’t know what to do” with her filming sober. Eventually, she says, they understood how serious she was about her commitment.
“When they understood my commitment to my sobriety, I think they got on board with it.”
So Who Represents Potomac on ‘RHUGT’?
With Karen sitting this trip out, fellow Potomac OG Gizelle Bryant represents the franchise as part of the seven-woman core cast alongside Vicki Gunvalson, Luann de Lesseps, Porsha Williams, Teresa Giudice, Kyle Richards and Lisa Barlow.
Roaring 20th is considerably bigger than a traditional Ultimate Girls Trip. The nine-episode event follows the women across the country while featuring a reported 82 Housewives appearances celebrating two decades of the franchise.
For Huger, however, passing on such a high-profile opportunity appears to signal just how differently she is approaching this chapter of her reality-TV career.
After everything that has happened, the Grande Dame seems determined to make her Bravo comeback — but this time, on her own terms and sober.
The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th premieres Sunday, August 9 at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo and streams the following day on Peacock.
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