Word on the street is that Karen Huger's Real Housewives of Potomac costars are still processing the news of her prison sentencing.
"My jaw dropped," Wendy Osefo told People at Essence's Black Women in Hollywood Awards in L.A. on Feb. 27 one day after a judge sentenced the Grande Dame to a year behind bars for her fourth DUI arrest. "I couldn't believe it. At the end of the day, we may have our differences, but I always wish her well, and I'm just keeping her in prayer, 100 percent."
But after the cast held their own during the season nine reunion—which Karen skipped after her December verdict to seek treatment at a rehab facility—Wendy knows the Bravo reality show will be just fine without the series O.G.
"With this group, we have found a way to navigate with her presence and without her presence," the former professor noted. "Looking at the reunion, I think that we maneuvered in a positive way as a collective, as a unit. I wish her the best, but I think that the Potomac brand still is strong.”
Meanwhile, Karen's longtime frenemy Gizelle Bryant was equally stunned by her punishment.
“I am shook,” Gizelle told Us Weekly Feb. 26 just hours after the news broke. “I do not have her wigs. I am concerned. In all seriousness, I am concerned for her safety. Karen ain’t cut out for jail.”
As for fellow O.G. Ashley Darby, she was filled with emotion upon learning Karen was headed to prison.
"I really do encourage everyone to keep Karen in your prayers,” the "Coffee & Love" singer told fans during a Feb. 27 appearance on The Tamron Hall Show. "I really care about her. And I learned this on the train coming here today and I cried like a baby, I did."
Last March, Karen crashed her car near Bethesda, Maryland, and was arrested on suspicion of DUI. She was later charged with eight crimes, including driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, driving a vehicle while impaired by alcohol and negligent driving of a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner endangering property, life and person.
And after being found guilty in December, she entered a treatment facility after admitting to drinking while taking antidepressants.
While prosecutors, citing Karen's three previous DUIs, originally asked the judge for two years in prison with six months suspended for the reality star's latest arrest, a Maryland judge sentenced the 61-year-old to two years behind bars with one year suspended.
Once released after a year, Karen—who has yet to speak out publicly on the punishment—won't be allowed to drive a vehicle for another year she will also face five years of probation.
Don't miss part three of The Real Housewives of Potomac reunion Sunday, March 2, at 8 p.m. on Bravo. And keep reading for a closer look at the cast's stunning season nine reunion looks.
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