Terri Welles (born Terri Knepper; November 21, 1956) is an American actress and
adult model. She first appeared on the cover of the May 1980 issue of ''
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 ...
'', wearing a
flight attendant costume to illustrate a pictorial on stewardesses (Welles was a
United Airlines
United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. stewardess at the time). She subsequently appeared as a
centerfold
The centerfold or centrefold of a magazine is the inner pages of the middle sheet, usually containing a portrait, such as a pin-up or a nude. The term can also refer to the model featured in the portrait. In saddle-stitched magazines (as opp ...
in the December 1980 issue and was named
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 ...
for 1981. Her original pictorial was photographed by
Richard Fegley. Welles was the inspiration for the "Bobo Weller" character in the film
Star 80
''Star 80'' is a 1983 American biographical drama film written and directed by Bob Fosse. It was adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning ''Village Voice'' article "Death of a Playmate" by Teresa Carpenter and is based on Canadian ''Playboy'' mo ...
.
Career
In 1997 Welles started an online business selling pictures of herself. On her web site she described herself as a former ''Playboy'' model and Playmate of the Year. Playboy Enterprises, which was starting up its own online business at this time, sued Welles in 1998 claiming that it had the exclusive right to use of its
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from othe ...
terms ''"Playboy"'' and "Playmate of the Year" for commercial purposes. The outcome of the suit, ''
Playboy Enterprises, Inc. v. Welles
''Playboy Enterprises, Inc. v. Welles'', 279 F.3d 796 (9th Cir., 2002), was a court ruling at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The ruling was an important early precedent on the nominative use of trademarked terms for sel ...
'', was that virtually all of Welles' use of the terms were considered
nominative uses, and did not infringe on Playboy's rights.
Welles closed down her web site on October 31, 2006, with the announcement that it had "been a fun ride".
Personal life
Welles was born in
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing t ...
.
Welles married
NHL ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
player,
Charlie Simmer, in 1981; they divorced in 1986.
See also
*
List of people in Playboy 1980–1989
*
Playboy Enterprises, Inc. v. Welles
''Playboy Enterprises, Inc. v. Welles'', 279 F.3d 796 (9th Cir., 2002), was a court ruling at the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The ruling was an important early precedent on the nominative use of trademarked terms for sel ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Welles, Terri
1956 births
Living people
American actresses
American female adult models
1980s Playboy Playmates
Playboy Playmates of the Year
21st-century American women