For the past 8 seasons, Karen Huger has been delighting Real Housewives Of Potomac fans with her charm, intelligence, and hilarious one-liners. Lovingly known to all Bravo fans as the “Grand Dame” of the franchise, Huger is a paragon of domestic bliss. She affectionately refers to her marriage of 27 years to husband Ray Huger as “The Institution,” which is stronger than ever. She’s the mother of two grown children, Brandon and Karen, who both have popped up on the show over the years. In addition to her household duties, she is a philanthropist and entrepreneur. Her La’ Dame fragrance and iconic 3-wick candle are beloved by fans everywhere.

Despite all her accomplishments, what’s most impressive about Huger is that she is always able to keep her wits about her, whether she is mediating within the group or calling out other housewives for being out of line. At BravoCon, Huger further earned fans’ adoration by holding castmate Robyn Dixon accountable for not being open and honest during the previous season about her husband Juan Dixon’s questionable behavior involving other women. “I want Robyn to win, but I want her to win with the truth,” Huger said.

Unlike women on her own show and across other Real Housewives franchises, Huger has always rooted for her castmates, despite any differences or disagreements she might have with them. “I will have the difficult conversations. I will put everything on the table,” said Huger. “I try and make it comical because I’m not after blood, I’m after healing.” Huger promises she will “take any opportunity to bring the girls together” so that the rifts in the group don’t widen. While she is on her way to repairing her friendship with Mia Thornton (“I didn’t expect that betrayal from her,” said Huger sadly), Huger doesn’t see her friends Gizelle Bryant and Candiace Dillard Bassett having a conversation anytime soon. “I never say never, but it’s hard. Anything’s possible. But right now, do I see it? No,” said Huger.

Just after Thanksgiving, Huger came into the Decider offices for a candid conversation about the season, her epic pickleball event, where she stands with the women, and her most famous fan.

DECIDER: I know you must have had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your Megan Thee Stallion shoutout!

KAREN HUGER: I’m so super proud. It really surprised me. I’m very honored that I resonate with the young, older people, and even children. My favorite part of it was when she said, “She’s my auntie.” I love that.

Your cross-generational appeal cannot be denied! Plus, I saw the excellent TikTok you made with your daughter Rayvin.

[Laughs} Oh yes, I’m trying this TikTok thing with Rayvin.

Gonna give Ashley a run for her money?

Probably so! Rayvin’s really good, so I wouldn’t count her out.

Speaking of Ashley and Rayvin, I spoke to Ashley at the beginning of the season. She thinks that as Rayvin is getting older and telling you about her life experiences, you and Ashley are starting to find more common ground with each other. Is that accurate?

We have and I love that too. Also, now that Ashley has her own children, she understands where I was coming from when I wasn’t so okay with her. We have grown tremendously, and I like her, messy boots and all. I love it when she’s a little messy. Do it Ashley, do it.

Since you mention messy, I have to ask you what you thought of her look at Dr. Wendy Osefo’s party for her children’s first communion.

Ashley likes to show off the boobs and the flesh. She’s a beautiful woman. She’s in her thirties. Why not? I think maybe Ashley should have put them away, but that’s not Ashley if she puts them away. She was being real and true to Ashley. I’m okay with that.

Speaking of being real, I was at BravoCon seated for the RHOP panel when you called out Robyn Dixon for withholding information about her marriage during Season 7 and later mentioning your name on WWHL. Did it feel good to get that off your chest?

I have been getting it off my chest all season [laughs]. Look, I want Robyn to win, but I want her to win with the truth. I want it to be known that I didn’t start that at BravoCon. Robyn spoke under her breath and I caught it. I don’t start things, I finish them. When she claimed that I was making no sense, I had to throw it right back because the only one not making sense on that stage was her. She tried to go there and it didn’t work.

Also, don’t go on with Andy Cohen and call out my name and ask me to handle your business. I can’t even keep up with the domestic women who have stories about Juan, how am I going to keep up with the international women who do? It’s not my responsibility. Robyn needs to handle her own business.

I don’t disagree.

I just want Robyn to understand that no one believes her. It’s time to ante up and at least meet us halfway. Tell us to mind our business! I could deal with that better than you forcing this medicine on me. It’s a lie, unfortunately, and I don’t like it. She’s better than that, by the way.

I love Robyn, but she was grasping when she tried to bring up some insinuations about The Institution, aka your marriage to Ray. Why are these women always trying to drag poor Ray into things?

It’s because he’s adorable [laughs] He’s a wonderful guy. I’m a lucky girl. He does spoil me, and we’re in an enviable position. We have a good relationship. I love him. He loves me. Most importantly, I think what viewers get is that Ray and I are each other’s best friends. We’ve got that going for us, and Juan and Robyn don’t, unfortunately. When you’re trying to deflect from your own misery, you try to bring up something that is not even relevant anymore. You’re beating a dead horse. Stop it. People look at you like you’re crazy. Talk about the real issue, which is you selling your story behind a paywall instead of telling the group the truth about your marriage. That was tacky.

I do have to ask—whose idea was it to dress up as pickles for the pickleball game? Your’s or Ray’s?

You know what, I was going to go green for pickle, right? Ray doesn’t dress like me. We don’t dress alike. However, when he saw my green outfit, he complimented me and put on his green jacket right away. He did that intentionally to bring some joy to the group. We love the women in the group, but right now, we’re going through it. We’re not all agreeing with one another. The best thing I could do is put together a pickleball event and present Mr. And Mrs. Pickle. That’s some fun; that’s some lightness. We needed that.

It’s tough as a viewer to see that growing divide within the group.

It is tough to watch, but it’s real. What do we do with my core group of friends on this show when we have a problem? We have a conversation about it just like Robyn and I did. We are going to talk about it, no matter what. I wanted Robyn to give me her version of the truth. I don’t have to believe it, nor do I, but we’re going to hash it out so we can move on. I believe in these girls. I love each and every one of them. I want to see us win. We’ve got a great show. I believe that what Robyn’s going through will really resonate with viewers. They’ll eventually rally for her, but only once she owns the truth.

One of the many things I respect about you is your willingness to forgive and move on. As the Grand Dame, do you feel like you have to lead by example with these relationships?

I think as their friend, I have to lead by example with these relationships. Whether they say it out loud or not, the girls respect me. I love them, and I want the best for them. So I will have the difficult conversations. I will put everything on the table. I will try and make it comical because I’m not after blood, I’m after healing. Healing does exist through difficult conversations and coming to a solution. Yeah, I will take any opportunity to bring the girls together. You’ll see that.

I thought you had a nice moment with Juan Dixon at the pickleball event after he ruined the end of your buffet. You managed to kill any tension between you two in a warm and funny way, which I thought was really classy. How did you feel about squashing that beef?

KH: He got a bean in my sneaker, okay? [laughs] That little bean propelled me to move to Juan. He’s a professional athlete; he could have planted that ball anywhere! I thought it was a cute moment to say, “Look, you got a problem with me, let’s handle it.” He stepped up and said, “Bring it on, bring it on.” That’s a good example of how we can resolve our issues in the group. I could have done without the bean in my shoe though.

The pickleball match was a good idea to unify the ladies, but things got messy quickly after the game. Did you have any idea newbie Nneka Ihim was going to bring up her issues with Dr. Wendy?

No idea, but only at my events do things go left. I have to take the good with the bad. I was very disappointed. They’re two beautiful Nigerian women. I was hoping for a different beginning, but we’ll deal with it. If that’s where they are, we’ll join them there, and we’ll see how we come out in the end. We’ve just got to work through it.

Like you say in your confessional, Nneka’s allegations against Wendy’s mother are pretty wild.

They are buck wild. These allegations are something else. Also, they’re very confusing. I can’t keep up. The season’s over, and I still can’t keep up. For me personally, there are things that are off limits and I abide by that every season. Mothers are off limits; children are off limits. And I try to stay away from politics. It’s a messy thing. Religion too, don’t touch it.

Her statement about the shrine, I’ll touch that, because I do know Wendy’s mother and she has prayed for me. She is Catholic. There are shrines in Catholicism. Why did they immediately think that potentially leaving names at a shrine was a negative thing? How am I the only one that sees that? I’ve had my friends pray for me, and my mother and they submit our name to the shrine. That’s Catholicism. Can we move on? Let’s pivot and take the high road. Don’t go so low.

I’m hoping they can come to an understanding because Wendy’s mother is clearly harmless.

Me too.

One positive thing that happened at pickleball, at least for viewers, was you got to grill Gizelle about her new man, Jason Cameron. Did you get to meet him at BravoCon?

I met Jason at BravoCon. I did. Let me say this, everyone has an opinion about each other’s relationship. At this time in Gizelle’s life, I’m happy with whatever their relationship is. They’re not labeling it anything; they’re enjoying one another. Let her have some fun. It’s her time to enjoy. If Jason brings her joy, so be it.

Fans have long dubbed you the best “frenemies” in the Bravoverse, but sometimes I don’t see the enemy part.

There’s a lot of likability there. Gizelle and I have a history longer than any of the girls on the show. We’ve always sort of liked each other. However, the show brings out the truth. When you’re around someone in an environment like this for eight years, your differences are going to come out. Gizelle and I do have our differences. Like fashion, I would never… but she’s better this season. Somebody must be helping her out. I’m happy for her [laughs]. Seriously, our relationship is very real. While it can be hot and cold, right now, we’re warm. Next season we might be freezing cold, who knows? We’ll ride wherever that takes us. It is relatable because we are real with it.

You always lead with forgiveness, so is it tough to watch rifts between some of the girls, specifically Candiace and Gizelle, get nastier and nastier? Can their relationship ever be healed?

I never say never, but it’s hard. Anything’s possible. But right now, do I see it? No. Lines have been drawn in the sand, and they’ve got to work on it. But I’m hopeful. I am. I actually am okay with Candiace. Candiace and I had a moment. We worked through it. It took two or three years, but we handled it. Life is short. Don’t waste it on, “I’m not going to talk to you. I’m going to freeze you out.” It makes no sense to me.

Unlike other shows in the Real Housewives universe, your cast can always come together and coexist for an event.

I’m not friends with everyone that’s around this season, but I can be cordial. All you have to do is be cordial, and eventually, you’ll start moving back toward each other.

And how did you and Mia start moving back towards each other?

It was really Mia who made the effort. I never did anything wrong to Mia. Mia is a back stabber in this particular incident. I introduced her to my friends, and she had the most horrific things to say about me, which were ugly rumors. I didn’t expect that betrayal from her. Hence the handshake. We’ll start there. We’ll stay there for a minute, and then we’ll see.

Throughout the season, did you see the writing on the wall regarding Mia’s and Gordon’s separation?

Absolutely. At the reunion when she used the word “embezzlement,” I knew the marriage is over. I want the best for their children, but I’m not invested in their divorce or following it. It is what it is. I’m not surprised. I saw it coming. It’s unfortunate.

So what can you tease about the rest of the season?

Just buckle up. There’s a lot more to come. It’s my triple 20s, so I do three celebrations. I also bought my grandmother’s estate in Surrey County, so the Grand Dame House will be there for people to actually come and stay. I’m developing and renovating it now. We have a lot of fun this season in between our challenges. As we always do.

The Real Housewives Of Potomac airs Sunday nights at 8/7c on Bravo