Inside Karen Huger And Other Infamous 'Real Housewives' Encounters With Law Enforcement

Bravo's "Real Housewives" franchise is filled with plenty of drama between the castmates. However, off-camera, some of these stars have found themselves on the wrong side of the law. 

The most recent scandal is Karen Huger's recent guilty verdict on multiple charges, including a DUI and DWI. The "Real Housewives of Potomac" star went viral earlier this year after crashing her 2017 Maserati.

However, she is not the only Bravolebrity to face such allegations, with some entertainers getting arrested for fraud, assault, and improper sexual conduct. Here are 16 infamous cases featuring the network's reality TV stars.

On March 19, Huger was stopped by the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland after crashing her car. She was charged with driving a vehicle while impaired by alcohol, driving while under the influence of alcohol, negligently driving a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, and more crimes.

Despite her attempts to escape the case, a jury found Huger guilty of all her charges except reckless driving on Wednesday, December 18. She is not the first Bravo star to face the intoxication drama as "Real Housewives of Miami" star Marysol Pattonwas arrested on suspicion of DUI in January 2010.

Five months after Patton's arrest, the "Real Housewives of New York City" star Sonja Morgan was taken into custody for drunk driving, driving without a fastened seatbelt, failure to keep right, and failure to stop at a stop sign.

The DUI scandal continued with former "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Brandi Glanville getting arrested for the crime in October 2010, per PEOPLE.

While some "Housewives" had trouble drinking and driving, others became infamous for violence. In March 2009, former "Real Housewives of New York City" star Kelly Bensimonwas arrested on suspicion of punching her then-boyfriend Nick Stefanov in the face.

In 2014, Porsha Williams and Kenya Moore from the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" went viral for their explosive feud during the show's sixth season. Williams pulled Moore's hair, escalating things into a fight with host Andy Cohen and staff fighting to pull them apart.

Moore pressed charges, and a warrant was issued for Williams' arrest; who eventually turned herself into the Fulton County Sheriff. She was booked and released on a battery misdemeanor charge.

In December 2017, "RHONY" star Luann de Lesseps faced the music for allegedly attacking a police officer in Palm Beach, Florida, but escaped jail time thanks to a plea deal.

The Bravo Nation legal drama is never-ending, but some stars have found fame after their dark pasts. A good example is "RHOA" star Nene Leakes, who was arrested in 1992 on one misdemeanor charge and three felony counts of "theft of services."

When she was 25, she was accused of ripping off her phone company and pleaded guilty to all four counts. However, she returned to the wrong side of the law with three more arrests for probation violations. "RHOBH" alum Kim Richards attained similar infamy for her crimes.

In April 2015, Richards was arrested and charged with public intoxication, trespassing, resisting an officer, and battery. Surprisingly, she returned to police custody just four months later on suspicion of shoplifting up to $600 worth of items from Target.

A year after Richards' 2015 arrest, "RHONY" star Tinsley Mortimer was arrested and charged with trespassing for invading the home of ex-boyfriend Nico Fanjul. However, the trespassing charges were later dropped. "RHOP" stars Ashley and Michael Darby experienced similar luck in 2018.

Michael was accused of grabbing and groping Orville Palmer, a cameraman for the show, on September 1, 2018, while filming an episode. He was charged with felony assault and misdemeanor improper sexual conduct, but the charges were dropped a month later due to insufficient evidence.

Another infamous Bravo duo is Gina and Matthew Kirschenheiter. In February 2019, the "Real Housewives of Orange County" star was arrested on drunk driving charges in Rancho Santa Margaritas.

Four months later, Matthew was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, just two days after Gina filed for a protective order against him.

The "Real Housewives Of New Jersey" alum Danielle Staubwas infamously arrested with six kilos of cocaine and $16,000 in cash. She pled guilty to one count of extortion and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Additionally, she spent nearly a month in jail for her role in a kidnapping and extortion scheme.

Another infamous case involving "RHONJ" stars occurred in July 2013 when Joe and Teresa Giudicewere indicted on multiple federal fraud charges.

Teresa was sentenced to 15 months in prison for fraud, while Joe was sentenced to 41 months. He was deported to Italy, where he continues to appeal the order.

In March 2021, the "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City" star Jen Shah and her assistant Stuart Smith were arrested for fraud. They were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with telemarketing and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Unlike other Bravo stars, "RHONY" star Leah McSweeney was a victim of an altercation with police officers. She recalled the incident happened outside the Hammerstein Ballroom in 2002, where she had been enjoying a makeout session with her date before cops swooped in and separated them.

"I felt him being pulled away from me, and there was five police officers beating him up. It was really scary," McSweeney claimed. She noted she threw a half-empty bottle, and it accidentally hit a cop, who retaliated by punching her in the face. The Bravo star sued and won a $75,000 payout.

Will there be more "Real Housewives" on police radar in 2025?