Karen McDougal (born March 23, 1971) is an American model and actress. She is known for her appearances in ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...

'' magazine as

Playmate of the Month A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Play ...

for December 1997 and

Playmate of the Year This is a list of models who were chosen as a Playboy Playmate of the Year for the American edition of ''Playboy'' magazine. List of Playmates of the Year *1953: Marilyn Monroe *1954: *1955: *1956: *1957: *1958: *1959: *1960: Ellen Stratton ...

of 1998.Fegley, Richard, & Wayda, Stephen (photographers). "Playmate of the Year: Karen McDougal takes a bow", ''Playboy'', vol. 45, issue 7, p. 130-141, July 1998. In 2001, the readers of ''Playboy'' voted McDougal the

runner-up {{Short pages monitor"Pop Questions: Karen McDougal", ''Playboy'', Vol. 53, Iss. 9, pg. 148, September 2006.

Other appearances

''Playboy'' released a

Playboy Collectors' Figure Series Playboy Collectors' Figures are a series of dolls modeled after popular ''Playboy'' Playmates. Generally known as Playboy Dolls, the first doll was launched at the International Toy Fair in New York City in 2002. The dolls are 16 inches tal ...

limited edition doll in 2002 based on the likeness of McDougal and emphasized that it was an accurate model of her statuesque physique. Her collectors' figure was originally slated to be the first in the series to be released, however it was delayed due to redesigns. McDougal collaborated with fantasy sculptor Bill Toma in creating a limited edition bronze

statuette A figurine (a diminutive form of the word ''figure'') or statuette is a small, three-dimensional sculpture that represents a human, deity or animal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, with c ...

titled ''Warrior Princess'' in 2003. McDougal posed for Toma in the creative process and the

pedestal A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ...

of each statuette bears her signature.''Warrior Princess'' at the Nudes and Harlequins section
of Bill Toma's official website. Retrieved February 7, 2007 In early 2004, McDougal appeared in a photo spread in the Italian edition of ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'' with fellow Playmates, Pamela Anderson, Audra Lynn and Tishara Cousino. It was a

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...

themed men's fashion spread shot in Las Vegas by photographer

David LaChapelle David LaChapelle (born March 11, 1963) is an American photographer, music video director and film director. He is best known for his work in fashion, photography, which often references art history and sometimes conveys social messages. His pho ...

. The spread contained her first published nudes since her contract with ''Playboy'' expired years earlier.Homme International: Net Gains Yuppie Story''
on David LaChapelle's official website. Retrieved February 25, 2017 She traveled to Japan to be one of the eye candies for the wrestling bout between

Scott Hall Scott Oliver Hall (October 20, 1958 – March 14, 2022) was an American professional wrestler. He was best known for his tenures with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under his real name and under the ring name the Diamond Studd and with the ...

and

Kevin Nash Kevin Scott Nash (born July 9, 1959) is an American actor and retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legends contract. He is best known for his tenure with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) where he performed under his ...

( The Outsiders) at

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...

, Japan in May 2004. McDougal also participated in the 50th Anniversary celebrations of ''Playboy'' throughout the year at Las Vegas, New York and Moscow with other Playmates past and present. McDougal appeared in the 2005 ''Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion'' swimsuit calendar as the calendar girl of July.Wayda, Stephen. (Photographer) "Playboy:Playmates at Play at the Mansion – 2005 Swimsuit Calendar", John F. Turner, 2004. The calendar was the inaugural ''Playmates at Play'' calendar and it was shot on the grounds of Playboy Mansion in 2004. It was ''Playboys first attempt at creating a non-nude swimsuit calendar featuring Playmates, similar in style with those from ''

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue The ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue is published annually by American magazine ''Sports Illustrated'' and features female fashion models, celebrities and athletes wearing swimwear in various locales around the world. The highly coveted co ...

''. While all Playmates appeared in

bikini A bikini is a two-piece swimsuit primarily worn by women that features two triangles of fabric on top that cover the breasts, and two triangles of fabric on the bottom: the front covering the pelvis but exposing the navel, and the back coverin ...

s in the calendar, in the case of McDougal and

Hiromi Oshima is a Japanese glamour model. In June 2004, she became the second Japanese-born ''Playboy'' Playmate. Career Modeling Oshima was relocating to Miami Beach from Playa del Carmen, Mexico where she was living and working. Through a mutual acquaint ...

, the "bikinis" were actually only painted on using

body paint Body painting is a form of body art where artwork is painted directly onto the human skin. Unlike tattoos and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, lasting several hours or sometimes up to a few weeks (in the case of mehndi or ...

. In November 2006, McDougal was part of a trio of Playmates (along with Tina Marie Jordan and Katie Lohmann) that appeared in the "Celebrity Playmate Gift Guide" pictorial of ''Splat'', a magazine for

paintball Paintball is a competitive team shooting sport in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with spherical dye-filled gelatin capsules called paintballs that break upon impact. Paintballs are usually shot using low-energy a ...

enthusiasts. The pictorial showcased new paintball products for the 2006 holiday season. McDougal has also appeared in various

pin-up A pin-up model (known as a pin-up girl for a female and less commonly male pin-up for a male) is a model whose mass-produced pictures see widespread appeal as part of popular culture. Pin-up models were variously glamour models, fashion models ...

posters, calendars, magazine covers, advertising campaigns, promotional events, clothing, swimwear and lingerie catalogs following her success as Playmate of the Year.

Television and film

McDougal appeared in a series of sexy television commercials for

XFL XFL may refer to: Sports * XFL (2001), a defunct American football league that played its only season in 2001 * XFL (2020), a professional American football league Vehicles * Bell XFL Airabonita, a 1940 U.S. Navy experimental interceptor aircra ...

football league on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

and

UPN The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that launched on January 16, 1995. It was originally owned by Chris-Craft Industries' United Television. Viacom (through its Paramount Television unit, which pr ...

with the theme of "Cheerleaders". These edgy XFL commercials with implied nudity backfired and caused a controversy as they were deemed too risqué by the media,"They are not Cheerleaders – but they play them on TV"
, ''XFL.com'' via ''XFLBoard.com'', September 28, 2000. Retrieved May 3, 2009 they were quietly withdrawn before the launch of 2001 XFL inaugural (and final) season; the footage was nonetheless repurposed later in the season as a

publicity stunt In marketing, a publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized, or set up by amateurs. Such events are frequently utilize ...

for a halftime telecast. In 2001, she co-starred with

Lisa Dergan Lisa Dergan (born August 10, 1970) is an American model, actress, media personality, and sportscaster. She was ''Playboys Playmate of the Month for July 1998. Dergan has established a career beyond ''Playboy'', in particular in the world of ...

in ''

The Arena An arena is an enclosed area that showcases theatre, musical performances or sporting events. Arena, ARENA, or the Arena may also refer to: Places and jurisdictions * Arena, Saskatchewan, Canada * Arena, Iran * Arena, Calabria, Italy * La ...

'', a

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

-produced,

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy w ...

movie directed by

Timur Bekmambetov Timur Nuruakhitovich Bekmambetov (, ; ; born June 25, 1961) is a Russian-Kazakhstan, Kazakh film Film director, director, Film producer, producer, screenwriter, and tech entrepreneur. He is best known for the fantasy epic ''Night Watch (2004 fi ...

. The entire production was shot in Russia. In her feature film debut, McDougal's character, Jessemina, is a slave girl who is forced into fighting as a

female gladiator The gladiatrix (plural ''gladiatrices'') is the female equivalent of the gladiator of ancient Rome. Like their male counterparts, gladiatrices fought each other, or wild animals, to entertain audiences at various games and festivals. Very little ...

in an Ancient Roman colony by its corrupt

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

. The role offered McDougal her first opportunity to act in a dramatic role and to demonstrate her physical abilities with the movie's

sword fighting Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to a ...

sequences. The movie, initially titled ''Gladiatrix'' was deemed to be a knockoff of '' Gladiator''. Although the movie was not well received, it has turned into a lesser known cult film. McDougal was one of 12 contestants in the search for the new host succeeding

Brooke Burke Brooke Lisa Burke (born September 8, 1971) is an American television personality, fitness personality, author, actress, and businesswoman. She is known for hosting the E! Network travel show ''Wild On!'' (1999–2002), CBS' ''Rock Star'' (20 ...

for ''Wild On!'' in 2002 (known as ''Wild Off!''). The contest took place at The Palms in Las Vegas. Each contestant was given a "wild" challenge to complete and McDougal's challenge was to dress up as Cleopatra and roam the casino at Caesars Palace in the arms of an actor dressed up as

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

for a day. She completed her challenge and was considered an early favorite by fellow contestants, but did not advance to the final round of five contestants.

Cindy Taylor Cindy may refer to: People *Cindy (given name), a list of people named Cindy, Cindi, Cyndi or Cyndy *Tugiyati Cindy (born 1985), Indonesian footballer Music * ''Cindy'' (musical), an off-Broadway production in 1964 and 1965 * "Cindy" (folk song ...

was the eventual winner of ''Wild Off!''. After winning a local try out in Los Angeles, McDougal advanced to the 2004 ''

WWE Diva Search ''WWE Diva Search'' (formerly ''WWE Raw Diva Search'') is an American talent competition that was produced and held by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The first winner was Jaime Koeppe, but she did not receive a contract like subsequent winne ...

'' special held at the Beacon Theatre in New York as one of 28 finalists. The special was televised live on Spike TV on July 15, 2004. McDougal, clad in a black bikini, survived two rounds of elimination during the program, only to be eliminated by the judges in the last round at the end, just prior to the selection of the final 10 contestants eligible for online voting. McDougal appeared as one of the interviewees in the April 9, 2006 episode of ''

E! True Hollywood Story ''E! True Hollywood Story'' is an American television documentary series on E! that pulls back the curtain and highlights some of pop culture's most fascinating people, moments and trends. The series offers exclusive interviews with new insigh ...

'', which focused on Hugh Hefner. She briefly described her experience at the Playboy Mansion when she was Miss December 1997. In mid-2006, McDougal appeared as a fitness model demonstrating all the exercises in a fitness training DVD with Hollywood celebrity

fitness trainer A personal trainer is an individual who creates and delivers safe and effective exercise programs for apparently healthy individuals and groups, or those with medical clearance to exercise. They motivate clients by collaborating to set goals, p ...

Valerie Waters. She has guest hosted TV programs (''

Wild On! ''Wild On!'' was a travel show that was produced from 1997 until 2003 by E!. Each episode followed a celebrity host as they experienced the food, culture, and nightlife of a certain region. Overview Sometimes referred to as ''Wild on E!''. The ...

'' on E!, ''VIP Access'' on

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

), appeared in other TV programs (such as: ''

Lovespring International ''Lovespring International'' is an American sitcom created by Guy Shalem and Brad Isaacs which aired on Lifetime on Mondays at 11pm during the Summer of 2006 in the United States. Lovespring was canceled on December 1, 2006. Executive produced by ...

'', ''

Anger Management Anger management is a psycho-therapeutic program for anger prevention and control. It has been described as deploying anger successfully.Schwarts, Gil. July 2006. Anger Management', July 2006 The Office Politic. Men's Health magazine. Emmaus, PA: ...

'', ''

The O'Reilly Factor ''The O'Reilly Factor'' (originally titled ''The O'Reilly Report'' and also known as ''The Factor'') is an American cable television news and talk show. ''The O'Reilly Factor'' first aired in the United States on Fox News Channel on October 7 ...

'', the Playmate edition of '' Russian Roulette'', etc.), movies ( cameos in ''

Joe Dirt ''Joe Dirt'' is a 2001 American adventure comedy film, directed by Dennie Gordon (in her feature film directorial debut), starring David Spade, Dennis Miller, Christopher Walken, Adam Beach, Brian Thompson, Brittany Daniel, Jaime Pressly, Eri ...

'', '' Charlie's Angels'', ''

Grind A blade's grind is its cross-sectional shape in a plane normal to the edge. Grind differs from blade profile, which is the blade's cross-sectional shape in the plane containing the blade's edge and the centre contour of the blade's back ( ...

'', '' The Girl Next Door'' and ''

Raising Helen ''Raising Helen'' is a 2004 American comedy-drama film directed by Garry Marshall and written by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler. It stars Kate Hudson, John Corbett, Joan Cusack, Hayden Panettiere, siblings Spencer and Abigail Breslin, and Helen M ...

'') and music videos with singer David Lee Roth.

Business venture

In 2010, McDougal became one of the owners of Pharmore Alternatives, a company selling various health and wellness supplements.About us at Pharmore Alternatives
Retrieved June 19, 2011"How to become beautiful", ''Playboy'', Vol. 57, Iss. 7, pg. 121, August 2010. She attended the 2011

AVN Adult Entertainment Expo AVN may refer to: Medicine * Atrioventricular node, special region of conducting tissue in the heart * Avascular necrosis, medical condition Transport * Air Vanuatu, by ICAO airline code * Avonmouth railway station, UK, by National Rail code Com ...

in January 2011 to promote its products.2011 AEE – Natures Uphoria
. AdultXEvents.com. Retrieved June 21, 2011

Personal life

McDougal's family members initially did not support her decision to pose for ''Playboy''. Eventually, they embraced the fact and her mother appeared in interview segments of her Playmate of the Year "Video Centerfold" as a sign of support. When she was Playmate of the Year of 1998, she had a healthy BMI of 19. In 2004, she bought a pink custom-built motorcycle,"If a Playmate bought a Bike" – an article from ''Hot Bike''
. Retrieved October 20, 2006 and entered an ''

Easyriders ''Easyriders'' is an American motorcycle magazine, founded in 1970. It was published monthly by Paisano Publications for over 50 years. In addition to its coverage of motorcycles (particularly Harley-Davidsons) and related activities, ''Easyriders ...

'' sponsored motorcycle competition in

Pomona, California Pomona is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 151,713. The main campus of California State Pol ...

, where her motorcycle won the Best Radical Custom award. She also professes to be a

chocoholic A chocoholic is a person who craves or compulsively consumes chocolate. The word "chocoholic" was first used in 1968, according to Merriam-Webster. It is a portmanteau of "chocolate" and "alcoholic". The term is used loosely or humorously to des ...

and

junk food "Junk food" is a term used to describe food that is high in calories from sugar and/or fat, and possibly also sodium, but with little dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, or other important forms of nutritional value. It is also known as ...

junkie, despite otherwise seeing herself as a "health nut". In her spare time, she exercises five days a week to stay in shape. She is an animal lover and owned two cats: Brittany and Brandy. McDougal has two tattoos,"RipeTV presents Playboy Dating: Karen McDougal"
. Ripe TV via ''Sling.com'' Retrieved on February 6, 2008 one is a tattoo of a cat on the second toe of her right foot to honor her cats, the other is that of a

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...

behind her right

ear An ear is the organ that enables hearing and, in mammals, body balance using the vestibular system. In mammals, the ear is usually described as having three parts—the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear consists of ...

as a reminder of her spirituality. As of 2007, McDougal lived in Los Angeles and

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

. In March 2008, McDougal appeared in a

topless Toplessness refers to the state in which a woman's breasts, including her areolas and nipples, are exposed, especially in a public place or in a visual medium. The male equivalent is barechestedness, also commonly called shirtlessness. Expose ...

pictorial and interview in Spanish magazine '' Interviu'' in which she discussed her then relationship with

Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...

. McDougal's family has a history of breast cancer, and McDougal, who had

breast implants A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size, shape, and contour of a person's breast. In reconstructive plastic surgery, breast implants can be placed to restore a natural looking breast following a mastectomy, to correct congenita ...

, is an advocate of breast cancer awareness. In January 2017, she had her breast implants removed after her health worsened. In 2018, McDougal said she is registered to vote as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. Although she is a

swimsuit A swimsuit is an item of clothing designed to be worn by people engaging in a water-based activity or water sports, such as swimming, diving and surfing, or sun-orientated activities, such as sun bathing. Different types may be worn by men, ...

model, she is not a proficient swimmer because of her aquaphobia.

Affair with Donald Trump

In November 2016, ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' reported that McDougal had told a friend that she had an affair with a married

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

from 2006 to 2007, with various sources quoting that it had lasted from ten months to a year. It also reported that

American Media, Inc. A360 Media, LLC (branded a360media), formerly American Media, Inc. (AMI), is an American publisher of magazines, supermarket tabloids, and books based in New York City. Originally affiliated with only the ''National Enquirer'', the media company ...

(AMI), the owner of the ''

National Enquirer The ''National Enquirer'' is an American tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1926, the newspaper has undergone a number of changes over the years. The ''National Enquirer'' openly acknowledges that it pays sources for tips, a common practice in tabl ...

'', had paid McDougal $150,000 for exclusive rights to her story, but never published it. AMI stated to ''The Wall Street Journal'' that it had paid the amount to McDougal not "to kill damaging stories about" Trump, but for "exclusive life rights to any relationship she has had with a then-married man" and "two years' worth of her fitness columns and magazine covers". On June 20, 2016,

Dylan Howard Dylan Howard (born 19 January 1982) is an entertainment journalist and media executive. He is best known for his work as editor-in-chief of the ''National Enquirer'' tabloid between 2014 and 2020, a period in which he oversaw a number of scanda ...

, chief content officer for AMI, interviewed McDougal for several hours at the offices of her lawyer. McDougal later met with investigative reporters from

ABC News ABC News is the news division of the American broadcast network ABC. Its flagship program is the daily evening newscast ''ABC World News Tonight, ABC World News Tonight with David Muir''; other programs include Breakfast television, morning ...

, which prompted AMI to offer to buy the rights to McDougal's story for $150,000 on August 5, 2016. ''The Wall Street Journal'' published the story four days before the

2016 United States presidential election The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticke ...

, in which Trump was the Republican Party nominee. Trump was endorsed by the ''National Enquirer'', and was friends with AMI CEO/Chairman David Pecker.

Hope Hicks Hope Charlotte Hicks (born October 21, 1988) is an American public relations executive and political advisor who served in President Donald Trump’s administration from 2017 to 2018 and 2020 to 2021. She served as White House Director of Strate ...

, speaking for the Trump campaign, denied the existence of an affair between Trump and McDougal, saying that the notion was "totally untrue." In February 2018, with Trump already elected as president, ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

''s

Ronan Farrow Satchel Ronan O'Sullivan Farrow (born December 19, 1987) is an American journalist. The son of actress Mia Farrow and filmmaker Woody Allen, he is best known for his investigative reporting of allegations of sexual abuse against film producer H ...

wrote about the affair and AMI's purchase of the story, largely corroborating the 2016 ''Wall Street Journal'' report, except that the affair had gone on for nine months. The story was based on McDougal's handwritten memoirs of the affair, which McDougal's friend passed to Farrow. McDougal confirmed to Farrow that she had written the memoirs. Farrow quotes the memoirs as stating that McDougal first met Trump in June 2006 at a party hosted by Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion. Trump kept in contact with McDougal, and they had sex on the first date. She said she met members of his family and he promised to buy her an apartment in New York. To avoid "paper trails", Trump had McDougal pay for flight and hotel expenses when she flew to meet him, then he reimbursed her. McDougal ended the affair in April 2007 because she felt guilty about sleeping with a married man; she was also offended by derogatory comments he made about her mother and a Black man who was dating a female acquaintance of his. McDougal declined to discuss details of the alleged affair due to her agreement with AMI, but she told Farrow that she regretted signing that agreement, saying, "It took my rights away... I don't know what I'm allowed to talk about. I'm afraid to even mention his name." Farrow also wrote that Pecker has a "favorite tactic" of buying "a story in order to bury it". AMI said it did not publish McDougal's story as it was not credible, and a spokesperson for the White House denied the affair. On March 22, 2018, Anderson Cooper conducted an interview in which McDougal detailed the affair and apologized to

Melania Trump Melania Trump ( ; born Melanija Knavs , Germanized as Melania Knauss ; born April 26, 1970) is a Slovene-American former model and businesswoman who served as First Lady of the United States from 2017 to 2021 as the wife of 45th president Do ...

. She said that Trump tried to give her money after they first had sex, that their relationship lasted 10 months, and that she visited Trump "many dozens of times". In March 2018, McDougal filed a lawsuit against AMI in

Los Angeles Superior Court The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, is the California superior court with jurisdiction over Los Angeles County, which includes the city of Los Angeles. It is the largest single unified trial court in the United States. The ...

, aiming to invalidate the non-disclosure agreement. On April 19, 2018, AMI settled with McDougal, which allowed her to speak about the alleged affair. In July 2018, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'' reported that two months before the 2016 presidential election, Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, had secretly recorded a conversation between him and Trump regarding paying McDougal. Rudy Giuliani, then representing Trump in a personal capacity, said that Trump did not know of the recording and gave two versions of the topic of conversation, saying first that the protagonists planned to pay McDougal directly, then saying that they planned to pay AMI for the rights to McDougal's story. This appeared to contradict a previous claim by Hicks days before the election, when she responded to ''The Wall Street Journal'' report about the payment by saying, "we have no knowledge of any of this". On July 25, Cohen's attorney

Lanny Davis Lanny Jesse Davis (born December 12, 1945) is an American political operative, lawyer, consultant, lobbyist, author, and television commentator. He is the co-founder and partner of the law firm of Davis Goldberg & Galper PLLC, and co-founder and ...

released the recording to CNN, which played it on the air. Trump and Cohen can be heard discussing how to make a payment for "all of that info regarding our friend David," ostensibly referring to Pecker. Trump is also heard asking if "one-fifty" needed to be paid, which Cohen confirms. McDougal was reportedly paid $150,000 by AMI. Davis stated that Cohen "achieved independence" on July 2, 2018, and was ready to admit the truth at this point. In August 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to breaking campaign finance laws, admitting paying

hush money Hush money is a term for an arrangement in which one person or party offers another an attractive sum of money or other enticement, in exchange for remaining silent about some illegal, stigmatized, or shameful behavior, action, or other fact abo ...

of $130,000 and $150,000 "at the direction of a candidate for federal office" to two women who alleged affairs with that candidate, "with the purpose of influencing the election". The figures match payments made to adult film actress

Stormy Daniels Stephanie Gregory Clifford (born March 17, 1979), known professionally as Stormy Daniels, is an American pornographic film actress and director, and former stripper. She has won numerous industry awards, and is a member of the NightMoves, AVN ...

and McDougal. Daniels also stated that she had had a 2006 affair with Trump. Trump responded to Cohen's claims by saying he only knew about the payments "later on", and that he paid back Cohen personally, not out of campaign funds. Pecker, Howard and Allen Weisselberg (chief financial officer of

The Trump Organization The Trump Organization is a group of about 500 business entities of which Donald Trump is the sole or principal owner. Around 250 of these entities use the Trump name. The organization was founded in 1927 by Donald Trump's paternal grandmothe ...

) were reportedly granted

witness immunity Witness immunity from prosecution occurs when a prosecutor grants immunity to a witness in exchange for testimony or production of other evidence. In the United States, the prosecution may grant immunity in one of two forms. Transactional immun ...

in exchange for their testimony regarding the payments. In May 2019 the

Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of New York State. Two of these are in New York City: New ...

was investigating the possible role of Trump and others regarding concealment of hush money payments. In September 2019, it was reported the House Judiciary Committee was preparing to investigate Trump's alleged involvement in the 2016 hush-money payments to McDougal and

. On December 5, 2019, McDougal filed a defamation lawsuit against

Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...

. According to the suit, network anchor

Tucker Carlson Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson (born May 16, 1969) is an American television host, conservative political commentator and writer who has hosted the nightly political talk show '' Tucker Carlson Tonight'' on Fox News since 2016. Carlson began ...

defamed McDougal by saying that she had personally

extorted Extortion is the practice of obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offence; the bulk of this article deals with such cases. Robbery is the simplest and most common form of extortion, ...

Trump for the hush money she received in 2016. McDougal denies this accusation. On September 24, 2020,

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

U.S. District Court Judge

Mary Kay Vyskocil Mary Kay Vyskocil (born March 22, 1958) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and a former United States bankruptcy judge for the same court. President Donald Trump nominated ...

, a Trump appointee, dismissed the defamation lawsuit, writing that, "The statements are rhetorical hyperbole and opinion commentary intended to frame a political debate, and, as such, are not actionable as defamation". The judge added that the "'general tenor' of the show should then inform a viewer that arlsonis not 'stating actual facts' about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in 'exaggeration' and 'non-literal commentary.'" Fox News released a statement the same day, stating that, "The decision is a victory not just for FOX News Media, but for all defenders of the

First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

". In June 2021, the

Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...

(FEC) found that the ''National Enquirer'' violated U.S. election laws and the $150,000 paid by AMI to McDougal amounted to an illegal campaign contribution. AMI agreed to a fine of $187,500. Because the FEC was equally divided on party lines, it could not pursue further investigation into Trump, who accordingly will not be punished or be the subject of further inquiry by the FEC.

References

External links

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Karen McDougal
at

Online
Interview with McDougal about her affair with Trump
{{DEFAULTSORT:McDougal, Karen 1971 births Living people 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Gary, Indiana American film actresses American people of Cherokee descent American people of Irish descent American people of Scottish descent Donald Trump controversies Ferris State University alumni Glamour models Indiana Republicans People from Berrien County, Michigan People from Merrillville, Indiana 1990s Playboy Playmates Playboy Playmates of the Year WWE Diva Search contestants 21st-century American women