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 â including Thornton, Stewart and Bryant â to tears themselves.
âAs much as I hate her, I love her,â says Bryant, who has been on RHOP with Huger since the show premiered on Bravo in 2016, while newcomer Stewart says, âI think itâs just sad.â
But Osefo drops a bomb with her reaction. âHaving seen that, it all adds up.â she says. âAnd now I can confidently say, âThat is not my friend.â â
Thus began a string of complicated feelings the ladies surfaced about at the reunion, where only a framed photo of the LaâDame fragrance owner was present.
Later, Osefo reveals she was warned about Hugerâs drinking habits before all of these incidents. And Darby drops the bombshell claim that there had been âa personâ in the car with Huger at the time of the accident âwho fled.â
âHer boyfriend,â 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 Hugerâs 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 âThomas Jeffersonâs concubine,â a line Bravo fans have already turned into their own meme.
Itâs not yet known whether Huger will have any jail time. Her sentencing is on Feb. 26. But host Andy Cohen does ask Hugerâs fellow Potomac Housewives âIf she goes to jail, how will she do?â â a question that was met with a unanimous âterrible.â
âLike, you canât wear your wig,â says Bryant.
While Huger was a hot topic, thereâs plenty more to discuss in the three-part reunion RHOP including Thorntonâs recent breakup with radio personality Incognito, which the ladies accuse her of faking.
âYou had this plan of you and Inc, it backfired on you, so you said, âLet me drop Inc,â â Osefo notes, Bryant jumping in with a clarifying, âLet me pretend to drop Inc.â
Thornton seems to take the criticism without much of a fight, even as sheâs called a liar and slammed for âexploiting her familyâ for storyline. âThereâs nothing worse than a shame spiral, and I feel like youâre in one,â Cohen tells her, as they sit backstage later on.
Rusch is also in the hot seat, after her boyfriend Thomas Anthony âTJâ Jones tells Osefoâs 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 âBring Eddie outâ to hear his side of it and see Ruschâs reaction when she watches footage of the moment.
âWhat would Karen think about this?â 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.
Hereâs Bravoâs official descriptions of all three parts:
Part 1: Sunday, Feb. 16Â
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 Karenâs 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.Â
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.Â
Part 3: Sunday, March 2
A shocking exit threatens to disrupt the reunion, but the drama continues. The nature of Staceyâs relationship with TJ is called into question when one of the husbands drops a huge bombshell. The group takes a deep dive into Karenâs DUI and long-held secrets finally come to light. Never-before-seen footage of Karen and Ray leaves a few of the ladies stunned.Â
In the meantime, previous episodes of RHOP can be streamed on Peacock.
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