RHOP’s Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby Share Update on Karen Huger’s Life in Prison After DUI: ‘They Love Her’ (Exclusive)

• Karen Huger’s Real Housewives of Potomac costars, Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby, exclusively told PEOPLE of how she was doing amid her prison sentence.
• In February 2025, Huger was sentenced to two years in prison, with one year suspended, for her drunk driving arrest
• Bryant revealed that Huger’s fellow inmates “love” her and she’s remained safe during her prison sentence. Darby, on the other hand, admitted that Huger wasn’t in a place to speak to her and her fellow RHOP Housewives.

Gizelle Bryant and Ashley Darby are revealing how their Real Housewives of Potomac costar Karen Huger is doing behind bars.

In an exclusive conversation with PEOPLE at Bravo’s Love Hotel series premiere in Los Angeles on April 27, the reality stars opened up about their communication with their former castmate while she serves her prison sentence for her March 2024 DUI arrest.

Bryant, 54, revealed that she hasn’t spoken to Huger “directly,” but she’s communicated with her through people she knows are “talking to her on a regular basis.”

“I’ve given messages. She’s given messages back through other people. I hear that they love her in that prison, which doesn’t shock me at all,” she explained. “Karen’s going to take over any situation she is in and do it with style and grace.”

Though she was initially “concerned with her safety,” Bryant said she’s heard Huger has stayed safe amid her sentence. In the meantime, the reality star said the two are working on communicating directly, adding that it’s been “a process.”

When it comes to Huger’s husband, Raymond Huger, Bryant revealed that he’s been “holding up” and doing “as best as he can.”

“They’ve been married for, I don’t know, almost 30 years. So outside of the fact of where she is, he’s now not with her,” she added. “So that’s a big shock, too.”

Darby, 36, also revealed that she’s been receiving updates through Bryant’s point of contact and shared she was lending her support despite taking jabs at her in the past.

“Honestly, I don’t think she’s in the place to talk about being with any of us socially,” she said of Karen and the other RHOP Housewives. “I mean, Karen is very focused on getting better and healing herself, and that’s what’s been communicated through our mutual friend.”

“She’s really steadfast in that journey, and we’ve just given her support,” Darby explained. “And yes, I may throw jabs and it may be shady occasionally, but honestly, I really want Karen to be better and to get better for herself and her children.”

“She’s just going to be the baddest bitch ever when she comes out of there. So I’m looking forward to that day,” she added.

Huger was arrested in March 2024 after a single-vehicle crash into a street sign, three miles from her house. Bodycam footage later released from the scene showed a visibly intoxicated Huger stumbling and slurring her words while speaking with police.

She was officially charged with a DUI and DWI, negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life, and person, as well as recklessly driving a vehicle in wanton and willful disregard for the safety of persons and property.

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Other charges included failure to control vehicle speed on the highway to avoid a collision, driving a vehicle in excess of reasonable and prudent speed on the highway, driving a vehicle on the highway with suspended registration and failure to notify administration of change of address within 30 days.

Huger was found guilty on all charges except reckless driving, her rep told PEOPLE in December.

In February, she was sentenced to two years in prison, with one year suspended, for her drunk driving case.