Wendy Osefo is shocked by the news of her Real Housewives of Potomac costar Karen Huger’s sentencing.
On Wednesday, Feb. 26, Huger, 61, was sentenced to two years in prison, with one year suspended over her March 2024 DUI arrest. She was immediately taken into custody following the hearing.
PEOPLE caught up with Osefo at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 27, where she shared her immediate reaction to Huger’s sentencing.
“My jaw dropped,” Osefo, 40, told PEOPLE. “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%.”
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As for the show’s future trajectory, Osefo acknowledged that Huger has been a cast member since season 1 but believes the RHOP cast can continue without her. “With this group, we have found a way to navigate with her presence and without her presence,” Osefo said. “I definitely wish her well.”
Osefo also noted that the cast — Gizelle Bryant, 54, Ashley Darby, 36, Stacey Rusch, Mia Thornton, and Keiarna Stewart — was able to film the season 9 reunion without Huger. Huger’s manager, Ryan Tresdale, explained that prior to the reunion, she “decided to enter a private recovery program” in a statement to PEOPLE first obtained by Bravo’s Daily Dish. Despite her absence, Huger appeared in a pre-recorded segment at the reunion, in which she addressed the arrest and took responsibility for her actions.
Osefo said, “Looking at the reunion, I think that we maneuvered in a positive way as a collective, as a unit.” Adding, “I wish her the best, but I think that the Potomac brand still is strong.”
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Along with Osefo’s reaction, Darby revealed on the Thursday, Feb. 27 episode of The Tamron Hall Show that she “cried like a baby” when she learned of Huger’s sentencing. “I really do encourage everyone to keep Karen in your prayers,” she said. “I really care about her.”
Meanwhile, Bryant said during her Gizelle 21 Shady Questions Live on Wednesday that she is “shook” by the news, Us Weekly reported.
“This just happened today. 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,” she added. “I pray that she’s OK and that the Lord is with her.”
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Huger was first found guilty in court on Wednesday, Dec. 18. At the time, body cam footage from her March arrest was released. It showed her repeatedly refusing to take a field sobriety test and breathalyzer, according to local outlet FOX 5 DC.
She also told officers that “nothing really” happened when she was asked about the accident, which Montgomery County Police told PEOPLE was a single-vehicle collision.
Following the Wednesday ruling, Huger has 30 days to appeal the judge’s decision and 90 days to ask the judge to reconsider his order. She will also have to serve five years of probation related to the charges.
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