Gizelle Bryant hopes Karen Huger and Ray can work through their marriage troubles after Karen’s release from jail. Gizelle says Ray Huger has been Karen Huger’s “rock,” and she’s worried about what marital strain could mean for her Real Housewives of Potomac costar after jail. “I don’t want to see Karen not have her rock and regress,” she said while promoting season 11.
Karen, 63, returned home in September 2025 after serving time following a DUI conviction. On the season that began earlier this month, she described tension with Ray, 79, as she focused on “taking care of myself and getting well.”
“I think he’s angry because he has a new wife,” Karen speculated in a confessional. In a separate scene, Ray said he thought “non-sober Karen might’ve been more fun.” They’ve been married since 1996.
“That makes me sad. I definitely want Karen and Ray to work things out,” Gizelle, 56, said. “I think they need each other.”
Gizelle’s concern comes alongside conflict in her own friendship with Karen. A season 11 trailer released in September showed them in a screaming match. Gizelle hasn’t explained the specifics of the argument, but said, “It is because I care about Karen that I was so angry.”
“I think in the past I would not have been so upset, but I’ve very much been a friend to Karen. I’ve shown up for her, and I felt like she wasn’t giving me that in return,” she said.
She also said Karen’s been more vulnerable and more willing to share her life this season. “I think she’s leaning a little bit more on the ladies, which she’s never really done before.”