Karen Huger was gone but not forgotten at The Real Housewives of Potomac season 9 reunion.
Though not there for the taping in person due to her trip to rehab after being found guilty on charges of DUI and DWI, the Grand Dame did appear in a tearful video message to her fellow costars Gizelle Bryant, Ashley Darby, Dr. Wendy Osefo, Mia Thornton, Stacey Rusch and Keiarna Stewart.
PEOPLE has a first look at the surprising scene, as seen in the exclusive debut of the trailer for the three-part reunion, which kicks off Sunday, Feb. 16 (at 8. p.m. ET) on Bravo.
In the footage, an emotional Huger breaks down crying as she sits in a living room. And while viewers will have to wait to see what she said, her words appear to bring many of the other women — including Thornton, Stewart and Bryant — to tears themselves.
“As much as I hate her, I love her,” says Bryant, who has been on RHOP with Huger since the show premiered on Bravo in 2016, while newcomer Stewart says, “I think it’s just sad.”
But Osefo drops a bomb with her reaction. “Having seen that, it all adds up.” she says. “And now I can confidently say, ‘That is not my friend.’ ”
Thus began a string of complicated feelings the ladies surfaced about at the reunion, where only a framed photo of the La’Dame fragrance owner was present.
Later, Osefo reveals she was warned about Huger’s drinking habits before all of these incidents. And Darby drops the bombshell claim that there had been “a person” in the car with Huger at the time of the accident “who fled.”
“Her boyfriend,” Thornton alleges.
Huger has long denied cheating rumors. PEOPLE has reached out to reps for Huger for comment on the new allegation.
Not seen in the trailer is any discussion of the viral body cam footage of Huger’s March 2024 drunk-driving arrest, in which she admitted to having a couple of beers but claimed to not remember key details about the accident that wrecked her Maserati. She also referred to herself as “Thomas Jefferson’s concubine,” a line Bravo fans have already turned into their own meme.
It’s not yet known whether Huger will have any jail time. Her sentencing is on Feb. 26. But host Andy Cohen does ask Huger’s fellow Potomac Housewives “If she goes to jail, how will she do?” — a question that was met with a unanimous “terrible.”
“Like, you can’t wear your wig,” says Bryant.
While Huger was a hot topic, there’s plenty more to discuss in the three-part reunion RHOP including Thornton’s recent breakup with radio personality Incognito, which the ladies accuse her of faking.
“You had this plan of you and Inc, it backfired on you, so you said, ‘Let me drop Inc,’ ” Osefo notes, Bryant jumping in with a clarifying, “Let me pretend to drop Inc.”
Thornton seems to take the criticism without much of a fight, even as she’s called a liar and slammed for “exploiting her family” for storyline. “There’s nothing worse than a shame spiral, and I feel like you’re in one,” Cohen tells her, as they sit backstage later on.
Rusch is also in the hot seat, after her boyfriend Thomas Anthony “TJ” Jones tells Osefo’s husband Eddie something during a FaceTime backstage when explaining his absence from the reunion. The revelation of what he said sends shockwaves through the cast, who chant “Bring Eddie out” to hear his side of it and see Rusch’s reaction when she watches footage of the moment.
“What would Karen think about this?” Bryant asks afterwards, holding up a picture of the Grand Dame.
The season 9 finale of RHOP airs Sunday, Feb. 2 (at 8 p.m. ET) on Bravo. Friends Jacqueline Blake and Jassi Rideaux will be present at the reunion too.
Here’s Bravo’s official descriptions of all three parts:
Part 1: Sunday, Feb. 16
The season 9 reunion begins with a surprise as the ladies learn that the Grande Dame will not be in attendance, but not completely absent either. Wendy expresses her disappointment with Karen’s lack of accountability this season. Ashley, Mia and Stacey reveal the statuses of their divorces. Jassi and Stacey confront Mia about her shocking behavior during her off-camera birthday in Miami.
Part 2: Sunday, Feb. 23
The reunion continues with Mia spiraling backstage after her confrontation. Keiarna and Stacey face tough criticism about their relationships with Greg and TJ, but when new revelations are made, the women are left speechless. When the ladies take her to task for her actions throughout the season, Mia finally reaches her breaking point.
Part 3: Sunday, March 2
A shocking exit threatens to disrupt the reunion, but the drama continues. The nature of Stacey’s relationship with TJ is called into question when one of the husbands drops a huge bombshell. The group takes a deep dive into Karen’s DUI and long-held secrets finally come to light. Never-before-seen footage of Karen and Ray leaves a few of the ladies stunned.
In the meantime, previous episodes of RHOP can be streamed on Peacock.
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