Jenny McCarthy is a multi-faceted American entertainer with a career spanning acting, modeling, and television hosting. Her early work included nude modeling for Playboy, followed by a successful stint as co-host of MTV's "Singled Out." McCarthy transitioned into acting, starring in her own sitcom "Jenny" and appearing in various films such as "BASEketball," "Scream 3," and "John Tucker Must Die." Her television career continued with hosting roles, including her own talk show and a period as co-host of "The View." Since 2019, she has been a judge on the popular competition show "The Masked Singer."
November 1, 1972: Jenny McCarthy is born
Jenny McCarthy was born on November 1, 1972.
October 1993: Playmate of the Month
McCarthy was chosen as Playmate of the Month for Playboy in October 1993.
1993: Playboy Career Begins
Jenny McCarthy began her career as a nude model for Playboy in 1993.
1994: Relationship with Ray Manzella
Jenny McCarthy began dating Ray Manzella in 1994.
1994: Playmate of the Year and Hot Rocks
McCarthy became Playmate of the Year and hosted Playboy TV's "Hot Rocks" in 1994.
1995: WrestleMania XI Appearance and Singled Out
McCarthy appeared at WrestleMania XI and started co-hosting "Singled Out" in 1995.
1995: MTV's Singled Out
McCarthy became a co-host on MTV's dating game show "Singled Out" in 1995.
1996: The Stupids Role
McCarthy had a small role in the film "The Stupids" in 1996.
1997: Multiple Projects
In 1997, McCarthy launched her MTV and NBC shows, appeared in Playboy, and released her autobiography "Jen-X".
1997: The Jenny McCarthy Show and Jenny
McCarthy hosted the MTV sketch comedy show "The Jenny McCarthy Show" and starred in the NBC sitcom "Jenny" in 1997.
1998: BASEketball Release
"BASEketball" was released in 1998.
1998: End of Relationship with Ray Manzella and Beginning with John Mallory Asher
In 1998, Jenny McCarthy's relationship with Ray Manzella ended, and she began dating John Mallory Asher.
1998: BASEketball Debut
McCarthy appeared in the film "BASEketball" in 1998.
January 1999: Engagement to John Mallory Asher
Jenny McCarthy and John Mallory Asher got engaged in January 1999.
2000: Scream 3 Release
"Scream 3" was released in 2000.
2000: Scream 3 Role
McCarthy appeared in the film "Scream 3" in 2000.
May 2002: Birth of Evan Asher
Jenny McCarthy's son, Evan Asher, was born in May 2002.
September 27, 2004: Amy McCarthy Cyber Girl of the Week
Jenny McCarthy's younger sister, Amy, was named Cyber Girl of the Week on September 27, 2004.
January 2005: Playboy Cover and Photographer
McCarthy was on the cover of Playboy and became a celebrity photographer for Playboy Cyber Club in January 2005.
January 2005: Amy McCarthy Cyber Girl of the Month
McCarthy's sister, Amy, was named Cyber Girl of the Month in January 2005.
May 2005: Evan's Autism Diagnosis
Jenny McCarthy's son, Evan, was diagnosed with autism in May 2005.
September 2005: Divorce from John Mallory Asher
Jenny McCarthy and John Mallory Asher divorced in September 2005.
December 2005: Begins dating Jim Carrey
Jenny McCarthy started dating Jim Carrey in December 2005.
2005: Dirty Love Release
"Dirty Love" was released in 2005.
2005: Party at the Palms
McCarthy hosted "Party at the Palms" on E! in 2005.
2005: Dirty Love
McCarthy wrote, produced, and starred in the film "Dirty Love" in 2005.
2005: Evan's Autism Diagnosis
McCarthy's son, Evan, was diagnosed with autism in 2005.
March 2006: Razzie Awards for Dirty Love
On March 2006, McCarthy received Razzie Awards for Worst Actress, Worst Screenplay, and Worst Picture for "Dirty Love".
June 2006: Relationship with Jim Carrey Public
Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey made their relationship public in June 2006.
2006: John Tucker Must Die and Santa Baby
McCarthy starred in "John Tucker Must Die" and "Santa Baby" in 2006.
May 2007: Evan's Autism Diagnosis Announcement
In May 2007, McCarthy publicly announced her son Evan's autism diagnosis.
June 2007: Spokesperson for TACA
Jenny McCarthy began her role as spokesperson for Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) in June 2007.
September 17, 2007: "Louder than Words" Publication
Jenny McCarthy published her book, "Louder than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism," on September 17, 2007.
October 20, 2007: First Fundraiser for TACA
On October 20, 2007, Jenny McCarthy held her first fundraiser, "Ante Up for Autism," for Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) in Irvine, California.
2007: In the Motherhood Web Series
McCarthy starred in the online series "In the Motherhood" in 2007.
April 2, 2008: Relationship with Jim Carrey
On April 2, 2008, Jenny McCarthy announced on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she was living with Jim Carrey.
August 2, 2008: WWE Appearance
McCarthy appeared on WWE's "Saturday Night's Main Event" on August 2, 2008, to promote autism advocacy.
October 2008: End of TACA Spokesperson Role
In October 2008, Jenny McCarthy ended her term as spokesperson for Talk About Curing Autism.
2008: Vaccine-Autism Claims and Oprah/Larry King Appearances
In 2008, Jenny McCarthy made appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live to discuss her views on vaccines and autism. She argued that vaccines could trigger autism.
2008: Pigasus Award
Jenny McCarthy received the Pigasus Award from the James Randi Educational Foundation in 2008 for her contributions to pseudoscience.
April 2010: Split from Jim Carrey
Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey announced their separation in April 2010.
April 27, 2010: PBS Frontline Interview
On April 27, 2010, Jenny McCarthy was interviewed for a PBS Frontline documentary about the debate surrounding vaccines and autism.
December 31, 2010: New Year's Rockin' Eve Correspondent
McCarthy began as a correspondent for "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" on December 31, 2010.
January 2011: Joins Generation Rescue
Jenny McCarthy joined the board of directors for Generation Rescue in January 2011.
January 2011: Defense of Wakefield
Jenny McCarthy publicly defended Andrew Wakefield in January 2011, stating that he listened to parents and recommended further investigation.
2011: BMJ Article on Wakefield
In 2011, the BMJ published an article detailing Andrew Wakefield's fraudulent research and planned venture to profit from the MMR vaccine scare.
2011: "The Jenny McCarthy Effect"
In 2011, the rise in vaccine hesitancy following McCarthy's activism was dubbed "The Jenny McCarthy Effect." Google Trends data showed an increase in searches for "autism & vaccines" after her book launch.
August 2012: Playboy Cover
McCarthy appeared on the cover of Playboy in August 2012.
2012: Love in the Wild Host
McCarthy hosted season 2 of "Love in the Wild" in 2012.
July 2013: Announced as The View Co-host
McCarthy was announced as the new co-host of "The View" in July 2013.
July 2013: Begins dating Donnie Wahlberg
Jenny McCarthy began dating Donnie Wahlberg in July 2013.
September 9, 2013: The View Debut
McCarthy debuted as co-host on "The View" on September 9, 2013.
October 2013: Not Against Vaccines Statement
In an October 2013 interview with TV Guide, Jenny McCarthy reiterated that she is not against vaccines.
2013: The Jenny McCarthy Show and The View
McCarthy hosted her own talk show and joined "The View" as a co-host in 2013.
2013: Blu E-Cigarette Commercials
McCarthy appeared in commercials for Blu e-cigarettes in 2013.
April 16, 2014: Engagement to Donnie Wahlberg
Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg got engaged on April 16, 2014.
May 2014: Opinion-Editorial on Vaccines
Jenny McCarthy published an opinion-editorial in May 2014 addressing her position on vaccines.
June 2014: Departure from The View Announced
McCarthy and Sherri Shepherd's departures from "The View" were announced in June 2014.
August 31, 2014: Marriage to Donnie Wahlberg
Jenny McCarthy and Donnie Wahlberg married on August 31, 2014.
October 27, 2014: Dirty, Sexy, Funny Radio Show
McCarthy's SiriusXM show "Dirty, Sexy, Funny with Jenny McCarthy" premiered on October 27, 2014.
2014: Departure from The View
McCarthy left "The View" in 2014.
2014: Co-host Departure
Jenny McCarthy finished her role as co-host of "The View" in 2014, nine months after her debut.
2014: Son's Autism Update
In 2014, Jenny McCarthy provided an update on her son Evan's condition stating he no longer met the diagnostic characteristics for autism but still experienced some effects from seizures earlier in his life.
2015: Criticism by Jeffrey Lieberman
In a 2015 Medscape article, Jeffrey A. Lieberman criticized Jenny McCarthy's views on vaccines, thimerosal, and autism, calling them misleading and harmful.
July 12, 2016: Radio Show Name Change
The name of McCarthy's radio show was changed to "The Jenny McCarthy Show" on July 12, 2016.
January 2, 2019: The Masked Singer Premiere
"The Masked Singer", featuring McCarthy as a panelist, premiered on January 2, 2019.
2019: Listed as Active Anti-Vaccine Celebrity
In 2019, Rolling Stone magazine included Jenny McCarthy on a list of seventeen anti-vaccination celebrities, highlighting her as one of the most active.
2019: The Masked Singer Judge
McCarthy started as a judge on "The Masked Singer" in 2019.
2020: Absence from New Year's Rockin' Eve
McCarthy did not participate in "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" in 2020.