Check out the full biography and net worth of Karen McDougal, she is an American model and actress who became famous for being a Playboy Playmate in 1997 and Playmate of the Year in 1998.
She allegedly had a 9-month-long affair with Donald Trump before he became president. Before winning the swimwear competition that launched her career, McDougal taught pre-kindergarten.
She has appeared in other magazines, television commercials, and minor acting roles. She was the first woman to appear on the cover of Men’s Fitness magazine and has been a successful fitness model.
McDougal enjoys collecting motorcycles and cars and has maintained a private social life since her Playboy days. Her affair with Donald Trump and its subsequent cover-up brought her national attention before and after the 2016 United States presidential election.
Karen McDougal Biography
The 52 years old American model, Karen McDougal was born on March 23, 1971, in Gary, Indiana. She appeared as a centerfold model in Playboy magazine in December 1997, and the following year she was named Playboy Playmate of the Year. She is 5 feet 8 inches tall. ((en.wikipedia.org))
Family Background | Parents
Karen McDougal is an American model and actress born in Merrillville, Indiana. She has Cherokee, Scottish and Irish ancestry. She is the oldest of five siblings, with three older brothers and a younger sister.
When she was nine years old, her mother remarried, and the family moved to Sawyer, Michigan, where she lived until she went to college.
Education | Early Life
As a child, Karen McDougal studied tap dance and ballet and dreamed of becoming a ballerina. In high school, she was active in cheerleading, marching band, color guard, and sports, and won several awards for playing the clarinet.
After graduating in 1989, she went to Ferris State University to study elementary education. Later, she moved to a suburb of Detroit to teach pre-kindergarten.
McDougal was encouraged to participate in a swimsuit competition, which led to her pursuing a career in modeling and acting. Despite her success in these fields, her goal has always been to open a learning center for children.
Personal Life
Karen McDougal is an animal lover and owns two cats. She is also a chocoholic and junk food junkie but exercises five days a week to stay in shape. She has two tattoos – one of a cat on the second toe of her right foot and the other of a cross behind her right ear.
Karen McDougal’s family has a history of breast cancer, and she is an advocate of breast cancer awareness. In January 2017, she had her breast implants removed after her health worsened.
Husband | Children
Karen McDougal is a woman who used to be a model for Playboy magazine and an actress. She was married to a famous actor and martial artist named Bruce Willis, but they got divorced in 2000 and they didn’t have any children. ((atinkanews.net)) ((wikicelebs.com)) Currently, McDougal does not have any children, either adopted or biological.
Affair with Donald Trump
In 2016, The Wall Street Journal reported that Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, had an affair with Donald Trump between 2006 and 2007 while he was married to Melania Trump.
The report was based on statements made by McDougal to a friend, as well as a $150,000 payment made by American Media, Inc. (AMI), the owner of the National Enquirer, for exclusive rights to McDougal’s story, which was never published.
Hope Hicks, who was then speaking for the Trump campaign, denied the affair. In 2018, The New Yorker published a report about the affair, largely corroborating the Wall Street Journal report. It was based on McDougal’s handwritten memoirs of the affair.
McDougal confirmed that she had written the memoirs and described how the affair had gone on for nine months. McDougal later apologized to Melania Trump during an interview with Anderson Cooper.
She filed a lawsuit against AMI to invalidate the non-disclosure agreement, which was settled in April 2018. In July 2018, it was revealed that Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, had secretly recorded a conversation between him and Trump regarding paying McDougal.
Cohen later pleaded guilty to breaking campaign finance laws, admitting to paying hush money of $130,000 and $150,000 to two women, including McDougal, “with the purpose of influencing the election”.
Defamation Lawsuit Against Tucker Carlson
Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, filed a lawsuit against Fox News in 2019 for defamation. She claimed that Tucker Carlson, a Fox News anchor, had falsely accused her of personally extorting money from Donald Trump to keep quiet about their affair.
McDougal denied the accusation. However, in September 2020, the lawsuit was dismissed by a Trump-appointed judge who stated that Carlson’s comments were not meant to be taken as factual statements but rather as political commentary. Fox News claimed this was a victory for free speech.
Career
Karen McDougal was discovered in 1997 after winning a local swimsuit competition promoted by Venus Swimwear in Michigan. She was then approached by Playboy and was offered a test shoot, which she accepted.
She was then chosen as Miss December 1997, and soon after, it was announced that she had been chosen as Playmate of the Year of 1998. As part of her winnings, McDougal received $100,000 and a special edition silver Shelby Series 1 convertible with a customized Michigan license plate “PMOY 98”.
She also became the first woman to appear on the cover of Men’s Fitness magazine. McDougal returned to fitness modeling and appeared in a photo spread in the Italian edition of Vogue with fellow Playmates, Pamela Anderson, Audra Lynn and Tishara Cousino.
Karen McDougal also appeared in the 2005 Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion swimsuit calendar as the calendar girl of July. Let’s look into her Acting and Modeling Career below.
Acting | Modeling
Karen McDougal has had a diverse career in acting and modeling, from controversial commercials to film and TV appearances. She also co-owns a health and wellness supplement company.
Sexy XFL Commercials
In 2001, McDougal appeared in sexy television commercials for the XFL football league. The commercials were controversial and were withdrawn before the launch of the XFL’s inaugural season.
The Arena
McDougal’s feature film debut was in The Arena in 2001, a direct-to-video movie directed by Timur Bekmambetov. The film was shot in Russia, and McDougal played a slave girl forced to fight as a female gladiator in an Ancient Roman colony. Although the film was not well received, it has become a cult classic.
Wild On! Search
In 2002, McDougal was one of 12 contestants competing to replace Brooke Burke as host of Wild On! The contest took place in Las Vegas, and McDougal was an early favorite. However, she did not advance to the final round of five contestants.
WWE Diva Search
McDougal competed in the 2004 WWE Diva Search special as one of 28 finalists. She survived two rounds of elimination, only to be eliminated by the judges in the last round.
Other TV | Movie Appearances
McDougal has also guest-hosted TV programs such as Wild On! and VIP Access and has appeared in TV shows like Lovespring International and Anger Management. She has made cameos in movies such as Joe Dirt, Charlie’s Angels, and Raising Helen.
Pharmore Alternatives
In 2010, McDougal became one of the owners of Pharmore Alternatives, a company selling health and wellness supplements. She promoted the products at the 2011 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo.
