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What's a little tax evasion between husband and wife!
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on Jul 25, 2018
Are Karen Huber and her husband getting divorced? Have to admit: When the Real Housewives of Potomac first aired, I wasn't impressed. I didn't even give it much of a chance. The way I saw things, Potomac, Maryland was just a poor man's excuse for Baltimore, or the more affluent Washington, D.C. Now, three seasons deep in Gizelle Bryant's overly-enunciated shade and Ashley's struggling marriage to an aged Australian who flagrantly displayed his junk on Grindr, I'm absolutely prepared to eat my words.
This season has been particularly fraught with drama. It didn't even stop when the "girls" joined cast member Monique Solomon in a birthday trip to the South of France. Oh sure, they saw the sights and giggled with delight as Monique stopped down some fresh peppermint while two deeply-puzzled essential oil purveyors looked on, but it wasn't all things nice in Nice (I APOLOGIZE FOR NOTHING).
In fact, it was during this trip that the self-proclaimed "Grand Dame" of Potomac, Karen Huger, came under fire for what the other cast members view as her lies about her personal life, including the state of her marriage to the "Black Bill Gates", Ray Huger. Rumors about the state of Karen's marriage have plagued her this season and she has done her best to take it all in stride, but keeping cool is not something comes naturally to Karen, especially not when it comes to managing the rumors about her personal life. Here's what we know so far:
1. She isn't wearing her ring
So why are these rumors still circling? Didn't Karen deal with them all during the "press conference" she threw at the beginning of the season? Turns out no.
While traveling to the South of France with the girls, Karen was not wearing her wedding ring. When Gizelle asked Karen where the ring was, Karen played it off, remarking that sometimes she wears the ring, and sometimes she doesn't.
Gizelle couldn't let it go, and when she noticed Karen sans ring the following day she asked her about it again. That's when Karen said that he marriage to Ray was in perfect condition: She just prefers to keep her jewels locked up when she travels abroad. She then went on to talk about a random time she was mugged and had to stick a ring in her "hoo-ha."
Apparently, Karen thinks her cleavage is her hoo-ha. She is mistaken.
2. The trouble in their marriage isn't new
There's a reason everyone has their eyes on Karen and Ray, and that's because when it comes to a marital crisis, this is nothing new.
Last season controversy swarmed around Karen. There were rumors that Karen was stepping out on Ray with a secret boyfriend known only as "Blue Eyes".
Remember how Kim Zolziak Bierman used to call her sugar daddy "Big Poppa" on RHOA? These pet names to keep their skeezy boyfriends' identities secrets are so not improving.
Karen's secret lover was rumored to be a firefighter but Karen brushed off these tale tales, insisting they were merely rumors.
Her friend and castmate Monique is still sticking up for her. When asked about the infidelity, she told Bravo, "Who knows if it's true. That remains to be seen. I have met a blue-eyed gentleman who I thought was her driver but then she said security. So maybe he's her security driver, so I don't know. I have met 'Blue Eyes.' A few of us have met him before," Monique recalled. "But whatever their relationship is beyond that, I can't speak on. Unless I see something with my own eyes, I don't believe it happened."
3. Ray's financial issues
For years Karen has proudly trumpeted about how well-off she and her family are, but at the end Season 2 at the RHOP reunion, the cast members began to question the narrative she was promoting — and later that summer the truth came out.
In July 2017, Ray Huger's tax-related issues become available for public consumption.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Ray personally owes over a million dollars in back taxes, and his company itself is in arrears of up to three million dollars:
"The government has a $1.468 million lien against Ray Huger, 70, a former IBM executive who founded software and consulting company Paradigm Solutions in 1991, according to an April 26 filing in Fairfax County Circuit Court. Paradigm Solutions, where Huger is the president and chief executive, also has a $3.06 million lien against it, Montgomery County Circuit Court records show."
Financial issues are a common pressure on even the strongest marriages. While Karen continues to deny that there is anything wrong with their marriage, given the extreme strain both Ray and Karen are under it wouldn't be at all surprising if there
4. Where are they really living?
At the end of Season 2, Karen announced she and Ray moved out of their multimillion-dollar home in Potomac and have moved into a gigantic rental property in Great Falls, just outside of Potomac.
However, the women of the cast are NOT buying it. They don't believe that Karen is actually living inside of the staged and expensive rental property. On the trip, Ashley confronted Karen with the rumor that she's actually sleeping in the guest house.
To make matters worse, instead of outright denying the claims, Karen didn't say much, just admitting that there is a guest house and she does spend time there when it suits her, but that has nothing to do with her marriage...
Mkay, Karen. Whatever you say!
5. Ray's crush
Karen, as we learned last week on RHOP, isn't the only member of the Huger Family who has been rumored to want to shake off their marriage vows!
When confronted with the rumor that Ray plans to move to Florida — with or without Karen — Karen confirms that Ray plans on retiring to Florida but she herself isn't sure where she wants to grow old. Of course, she doesn't address the whole wanting to leave her behind, part of that equation.
Karen herself has admitted that at one point during their marriage Ray asked her for a divorce but when pressed for information she gets cagey, at one point saying that happened years ago, and another point saying he suggested it to help protect her from his tax charges.
Gizelle seemed to hit a sore spot when she calls out Ray's crush of her business partner, Erika Liles. To hear Gizelle tell it, Ray followed Erika around at a recent party "like a puppy dog". Karen doesn't deny these rumors, but she got darn pissed off about them, which begs the question: Does smoke mean fire?
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margo. She hosts the love and dating advice show, Becca After Dark, every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:15 pm Eastern. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.
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