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Kari Ann Peniche Williams ( ) (born March 20, 1984) is an American actress and entertainer from Fairview,
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. She has held the
Miss Oregon Teen USA The Miss Oregon Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Oregon in the Miss Teen USA pageant. Until Tennessee's victory in 2009, Oregon was the only state to win more than one Miss Teen USA title. ...
and Miss United States Teen titles. She was stripped of the latter title after appearing nude in the November 2004 issue of ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's 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 Hefner's mother. K ...
''. She has been the subject of several celebrity gossip stories, including a brief engagement to singer
Aaron Carter Aaron Charles Carter (December 7, 1987November 5, 2022) was an American singer and rapper. He came to fame as a teen pop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among preteen and teenage audiences during the first years of the ...
, a quarrel with singer
Mindy McCready Malinda Gayle McCready (November 30, 1975 – February 17, 2013) was an American country music singer. Active from 1995 until her death in 2013, she recorded a total of five studio albums. Her debut album, 1996's '' Ten Thousand Angels'', w ...
, and the leak of a controversial home video involving actors
Eric Dane Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972) is an American actor. After multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in ''Charmed'', Dane was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABC medical drama tel ...
and
Rebecca Gayheart Rebecca Gayheart (born August 12, 1971) is an American actress and model. She began her career as a teen model in the 1980s and subsequently appeared in a student short film by Brett Ratner, with whom she had an extensive relationship. In the ea ...
. She is also well known to television audiences for her appearances on the first season of '' Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew'', the third season of ''
Celebrity Rehab Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
'', and a brief appearance on the second season of ''
Sober House Sober living houses (SLHs), also called sober homes and sober living environments, are facilities that provide safe housing and supportive, structured living conditions for people exiting drug rehabilitation programs. SLHs serve as a transitional ...
''.


Early life and modeling career

Peniche has two younger brothers. After their parents divorced, the three siblings lived with their mother, who was an extreme perfectionist (especially about schoolwork). Peniche attended a modeling class at age twelve. After briefly moving the family to
Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
, Peniche's mother remarried and moved them to a home on Blue Lake in
Fairview, Oregon Fairview is a city in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,920. History Members of the Multnomah tribe of Chinookan Indians lived in a village near the Columbia River (the future site of Fa ...
. At age 16, Peniche won a six-week contract to model in
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
. She returned for another six-week stint at age 18. Peniche attended Portland Lutheran High School in
Gresham, Oregon Gresham ( ) is a city located in Multnomah County, Oregon, in the United States of America, immediately east of Portland, Oregon. It is considered a suburb within the Greater Portland Metropolitan area. Though it began as a settlement in the mid- ...
, where she was a cheerleader. She graduated in 2002, and later attended
Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...
and took classes through
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
Extension. In a 2008 interview with '' Steppin' Out'' magazine, Peniche claimed that she was sexually abused as a minor, teenage model, and beauty queen; also physically abused by a former boyfriend.


Career

Peniche won the
Miss Oregon Teen USA The Miss Oregon Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Oregon in the Miss Teen USA pageant. Until Tennessee's victory in 2009, Oregon was the only state to win more than one Miss Teen USA title. ...
2002 title in November 2001. She competed in the
Miss Teen USA 2002 Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant formerly run, since 1983, by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. Unlike its sister pageants Miss Universe, which currently broadcasts on Fox and Miss USA, this pageant is webcast on the M ...
pageant but did not place. At the end of her reign she crowned
Tami Farrell Tami or TAMI may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tami (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with either the given name or nickname * Mark Tami (born 1962), British politician and Member of Parliament * Pierluigi Tami ...
as the new Miss Oregon Teen USA. The following year she represented
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
in the
Miss United States Teen Miss (pronounced ) is an English language honorific typically used for a girl, for an unmarried woman (when not using another title such as "Doctor" or " Dame"), or for a married woman retaining her maiden name. Originating in the 17th century, i ...
pageant, which she won. She was crowned November 10, 2003, in
Chapel Hill, North Carolina Chapel Hill is a town in Orange, Durham and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 61,960 in the 2020 census, making Chapel Hill the 17th-largest municipality in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state ca ...
. Peniche was considered an unconventional pageant winner, for her fashion and career choices. She was later stripped of her Miss United States Teen title after appearing nude in ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's 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 Hefner's mother. K ...
'' magazine. Peniche stated that she did not think there would be any issue, since: she claimed that nothing in her beauty pageant contract prohibited her from doing nude modeling; and, her ''Playboy'' issue was not published for sale until after her reign had ended. Peniche went on to host ''Xtreem'', a Seattle-based,
cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...
program featuring local bands and
extreme sport Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overl ...
s; and, the Boom Boom Huck Jam event. She acted in ''Small Change'', an independent film produced in Seattle, and has appeared in other movies and TV shows. She also launched a line of bikinis called "Strung Out" at Portland Fashion Week.


Personal life

In September 2006
Aaron Carter Aaron Charles Carter (December 7, 1987November 5, 2022) was an American singer and rapper. He came to fame as a teen pop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among preteen and teenage audiences during the first years of the ...
, then 18 years old, proposed to Peniche while they were onstage in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. They had known each other five days. Peniche, who had previously dated his older brother
Nick Nick may refer to: * Nick (given name) * A cricket term for a slight deviation of the ball off the edge of the bat * British slang for being arrested * British slang for a police station * British slang for stealing * Short for nickname Place ...
, agreed. The engagement was broken off six days later. On August 17, 2009, a home video was posted on the website
Gawker ''Gawker'' is an American blog founded by Nick Denton and Elizabeth Spiers and based in New York City focusing on celebrities and the media industry. According to SimilarWeb, the site had over 23 million visits per month as of 2015. Founded in ...
showing Peniche with married actors
Eric Dane Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972) is an American actor. After multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in ''Charmed'', Dane was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABC medical drama tel ...
and
Rebecca Gayheart Rebecca Gayheart (born August 12, 1971) is an American actress and model. She began her career as a teen model in the 1980s and subsequently appeared in a student short film by Brett Ratner, with whom she had an extensive relationship. In the ea ...
. All three are naked, though the video does not contain any sex acts. Though it is unknown how the video was made public, it had been stored on a hard drive that was the subject of a dispute between Peniche and Mindy McCready during their time on ''Celebrity Rehab''. Starting in November 2009, Peniche appeared as a patient on the VH1
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
spinoff series, '' Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew'' (a documentary about the treatment process for
sexual addiction According to proponents of the concept, sexual addiction, also known as sex addiction, is a state characterized by compulsive participation or engagement in sexual activity, particularly sexual intercourse, despite negative consequences. The con ...
patients ilmed in April 2009at the Pasadena Recovery Center). Peniche described herself as having had hundreds of lovers, but being unable to emotionally connect with anyone in any kind of relationship. Peniche's participation in the treatment program was marred by her aggressive and erratic behavior: verbally abusing the staff and other patients; refusing to participate in group discussions, or obey the clinic's rules; forcefully demanding that the staff fetch her fruit juice and bring it to her bedside; accusing people of laughing at her when they clearly were not; and, compulsively smiling (as a beauty pageant contestant might, in order to maintain a facade of well-being) -- even when discussing her own past traumas and pain. Dr. Drew Pinsky, the treating physician, became suspicious that she was using illicit substances such as
methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamph ...
, or had been prior to being admitted. The PRC's staff psychiatrist diagnosed her as having
borderline personality disorder Borderline personality disorder (BPD), also known as emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), is a personality disorder characterized by a long-term pattern of unstable interpersonal relationships, distorted sense of self, and strong ...
(BPD). It was indicated that both the substance abuse and BPD had to be treated before any treatment for sexual addiction could begin. Eventually, Peniche was involuntarily discharged for failing to comply with the program's guidelines. She refused Pinsky's offer of an alternative program at a nearby psychiatric hospital, and during the process of being evicted from her home, she made suicidal gestures and became abusive toward the show's production staff (e.g., throwing a container of water onto a technician). Later, during production of the third season of ''
Celebrity Rehab Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
'', Peniche contacted Pinsky for help. Pinsky explained that her aggressive behavior during ''Sex Rehab'' was derived from drugs she smuggled into the PRC in her
teddy bear A teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. Developed apparently simultaneously by toymakers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff under his aunt Margarete Steiff's company in Germany in the early 20th century, the teddy bear, ...
; and, were difficult to detect during drug testing because of the medication Peniche took for
attention deficit disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise Development ...
. Pinsky went to her residence, where Peniche showed him the
crystal meth Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamphe ...
she was using. She was shown returning to the Pasadena Recovery Center at the end of that season's fourth episode. Executive producer John Irwin claimed that her behavior changed by her second appearance, although she did allegedly punch a cameraman, at one point. In her second stint at the Pasadena Recovery Center, Peniche again exhibited some problematic behaviors (including conflict with the staff and other patients, plus again violating facility rules); however, she did complete the program. Peniche joined the cast of ''
Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House ''Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House'', or simply ''Sober House'', is a VH1 reality television show. It was a spin-off of ''Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew'', and premiered on January 15, 2009. Production ''Sober House'' is a continuation of '' ...
'', in which she transferred into a
sober living Sober living houses (SLHs), also called sober homes and sober living environments, are facilities that provide safe housing and supportive, structured living conditions for people exiting drug rehabilitation programs. SLHs serve as a transitional ...
facility (often an interim step between rehab, and returning to society). In the first episode, she became verbally abusive toward the sober living manager (
Jennifer Gimenez Jennifer Gimenez is an American model, actress, reality television personality, and addiction recovery advocate. She has appeared in music videos for Tupac Shakur, Babyface and Mick Jagger, in films such as ''Blow'', ''Vanilla Sky'', '' The Sweet ...
), and tested positive for
methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug and less commonly as a second-line treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obesity. Methamph ...
. During the second episode, admitted being worried that her former ''Rehab'' co-star,
Mindy McCready Malinda Gayle McCready (November 30, 1975 – February 17, 2013) was an American country music singer. Active from 1995 until her death in 2013, she recorded a total of five studio albums. Her debut album, 1996's '' Ten Thousand Angels'', w ...
(whom Peniche had invited to move in with her at the end of their season on ''Rehab''—an idea that Dr. Pinsky openly opposed) had access to sensitive materials on Peniche's computer. (It was later reported that the two argued over money, and, an accusation over a stolen hard drive ontaining the nude video featuring Peniche, Eric Dane, and Rebecca Gayheart. As Peniche was being filmed returning home to address this matter, she punched a cameraman in the eye, and was evicted from the sober living facility. A few days later, Head Counselor
Bob Forrest Robert O'Neil "Bob" Forrest (born February 15, 1961) is an American musician who is best known for his work with the Los Angeles bands Thelonious Monster and The Bicycle Thief. Forrest, a recovering drug addict, has worked for years as a recovery ...
brought Peniche back to the facility to see if the residents would accept her return; but, (with the exception of co-patient/-resident
Tom Sizemore Thomas Edward Sizemore Jr. (; born November 29, 1961) is an American actor and producer. He is known for his supporting roles in films such as ''Born on the Fourth of July'' (1989), ''Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man'' (1991), ''Passenger 5 ...
), the residents declined Peniche's in-person plea to return, and she left amid stinging criticism by
Heidi Fleiss Heidi Lynne Fleiss (born December 30, 1965) is an American former madam. She ran an upscale prostitution ring based in Los Angeles and is often referred to as the " Hollywood Madam". Fleiss has also worked as a columnist and was a television per ...
. Peniche wed investment builder Justin Williams in February 2011 in Los Angeles, California and they have two children together, a son and a daughter. Their marriage has been strained, reportedly due to Peniche's behavior, both past and present; her husband has made allegations of infidelity against her and of child abuse, saying a hair follicle test showed she'd exposed their then 10-month-old son to methamphetamine.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Peniche, Kari Ann Living people Beauty pageant controversies Entertainers from Oregon 2002 beauty pageant contestants 21st-century Miss Teen USA delegates People from San Diego People from Multnomah County, Oregon People with borderline personality disorder American expatriates in South Korea Female models from Oregon 1984 births