Karen Huger of ‘RHOP’ Told Police She Was “Thomas Jefferson’s Concubine” — What It Means

Content Warning: This article mentions sexual assault.

In December 2024, The Real Housewives of Potomac star Karen Huger went to trial regarding her March 2024 arrest following a car accident. The judge at the Rockville, Md. courthouse found her guilty of driving under the influence. Before the trial, Karen opened up about how much the case had affected her during Season 7 of RHOP, as fans and her castmates have wanted all of the details surrounding her case.

Following Karen's guilty verdict, Maryland police released more of the story she hasn't shared publicly. The police's body cam footage shows her in an impaired state as she name dropped her boss, Andy Cohen, and, ironically, Thomas Jefferson. In the video, Karen called herself the third President of the United States' concubine.

Though we know our girl is going through a lot right now, seeing the footage gave us the burning question: What does it mean to be Thomas Jefferson's concubine?

In the body cam footage on the night of Karen's March 2024 car accident, the Bravolebrity sat through police's questioning. During the conversation, she referred to herself as her RHOP nickname, the Grande Dame, and promised the officer she would "rise up" from the situation. She also said through slurred words that she didn't know what was going on, stating "Andy Cohen did that." In a clip shared with The Shade Room, Karen also claimed she was "Thomas Jefferson's concubine."

Karen didn't add any context as to why she considered herself the late president's concubine, and the police officer didn't ask any questions on their part. However, the declaration was unexpected to hear from the reality star, considering Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, long before she was born. The term "concubine" also means something the Grande Dame typically wouldn't appreciate.

Concubine is defined in the Cambridge Dictionary as a "woman who, in some societies, lives and has sex with a man she is not married to, and has a lower social rank than his wife or wives." The word has been used often in literary and artistic works, though many have also referred to concubines as mistresses.

Karen deeming herself "Thomas Jefferson's concubine" came after she insinuated the police officers targeted her because she's Black. Throughout history, it's been said that Thomas had a concubine, his teenage slave, Sally Hemings.

According to historical website, Monticello, Sally had at least six children with Thomas, which reportedly occurred after the death of his wife, Martha, who was also Sally's half-sister due to their father raping Sally's mother. It's unclear if she consented to her relations with the president, as female slaves didn't have autonomy over their bodies and couldn't resist their owner's advances.

Before the footage of her calling herself "Thomas Jefferson's concubine" was released, Karen's attorney, A. Scott Bolden, released a statement regarding her guilty verdict to People.

"Although we are disappointed in the jury’s verdict, we of course respect their decision and appreciate their time hearing our case,” the statement read. "We continue to reserve Mrs. Huger’s right to an appeal and intend to fully pursue justice on her behalf. We appreciate your support and prayers for Mrs. Huger and her family at this time.”

Karen is expected to be sentenced for the arrest on Jan. 29, 2025.