Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Karen McDougal

A closer look at the most debated and controversial moments involving Karen McDougal.

Karen McDougal is an American model and actress notable for her appearances in Playboy magazine, being named Playmate of the Month in December 1997 and Playmate of the Year in 1998. Readers of Playboy also voted her runner-up for "The sexiest Playmate of the 1990s" in 2001. She gained further notoriety for her alleged affair with Donald Trump prior to his presidency, a relationship reported to have lasted from 10 months to a year.

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Full Timeline Controversies & Scandals

2001: XFL Commercials

In 2001, Karen McDougal appeared in XFL commercials for NBC and UPN with the theme of "Cheerleaders", which were later withdrawn due to controversy.

June 2006: McDougal Meets Trump at Playboy Mansion

In June 2006, McDougal met Donald Trump at a party hosted by Hugh Hefner at the Playboy Mansion. They began an affair shortly after.

2006: Alleged Affair with Donald Trump Begins

In 2006, Karen McDougal allegedly began an affair with Donald Trump. This affair would later become a subject of national attention.

2006: Affair with Trump

In 2006, Stormy Daniels also stated that she had an affair with Trump.

April 2007: McDougal Ends Affair with Trump

In April 2007, McDougal ended her affair with Trump due to guilt and offensive comments made by him.

2007: Affair with Donald Trump Ends

In 2007, Karen McDougal's alleged affair with Donald Trump ended, later surfacing as a subject of national attention and controversy.

June 20, 2016: AMI Interview

On June 20, 2016, Karen McDougal was interviewed by Dylan Howard for several hours at the offices of her lawyer for AMI.

August 5, 2016: AMI Story Rights Purchase Offer

On August 5, 2016, AMI offered to buy the rights to Karen McDougal's story for $150,000, after she met with investigative reporters from ABC News.

November 2016: Wall Street Journal Report on Alleged Affair

In November 2016, The Wall Street Journal reported that Karen McDougal had an affair with Donald Trump from 2006 to 2007, and that AMI paid her $150,000 for exclusive rights to her story.

2016: Trump Campaign's Denial

In 2016, Hope Hicks, speaking for the Trump campaign, denied the existence of an affair between Trump and McDougal.

2016: Wall Street Journal Reports on Trump and McDougal

In 2016, The Wall Street Journal reported on the affair between McDougal and Trump, which Trump's campaign denied.

2016: National Headlines

In 2016, before and after the United States presidential election, Karen McDougal received national headlines due to the revelation of her alleged affair with Donald Trump.

2016: Hush Money Payments

In September 2019, the House Judiciary Committee was preparing to investigate Trump's alleged involvement in the 2016 hush-money payments to McDougal and Stormy Daniels.

2016: Carlson claims McDougal Extorted Trump

On December 5, 2019, McDougal filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News because network anchor Tucker Carlson defamed McDougal by saying that she had personally extorted Trump for the hush money she received in 2016.

February 2018: Ronan Farrow Corroborates McDougal Affair

In February 2018, The New Yorker's Ronan Farrow corroborated the 2016 Wall Street Journal report about the affair between McDougal and Trump. The story was based on McDougal's handwritten memoirs.

March 2018: McDougal Files Lawsuit Against AMI

In March 2018, McDougal filed a lawsuit against AMI to invalidate the non-disclosure agreement.

March 22, 2018: McDougal Details Affair in Interview

On March 22, 2018, McDougal detailed her affair with Trump in an interview with Anderson Cooper and apologized to Melania Trump.

April 19, 2018: AMI Settles with McDougal

On April 19, 2018, AMI settled with McDougal, allowing her to speak about the alleged affair.

July 2, 2018: Cohen 'Achieves Independence'

On July 2, 2018, Cohen's attorney stated that Cohen "achieved independence" and was ready to admit the truth.

July 2018: NYT Reports on Secret Trump-Cohen Recording

In July 2018, The New York Times reported on a secret recording between Trump and Cohen regarding paying McDougal before the 2016 election.

August 2018: Cohen Pleads Guilty to Campaign Finance Violations

In August 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations, admitting to paying hush money to women, including McDougal, to influence the election.

May 2019: Investigation into Hush Money Payments

In May 2019, the Southern District of New York was investigating Trump's possible role in concealing hush money payments.

September 2019: House Judiciary Committee to Investigate 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 Stormy Daniels.

December 5, 2019: McDougal Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Fox News

On December 5, 2019, McDougal filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News for Tucker Carlson's claims of extortion.

September 24, 2020: Defamation Lawsuit Dismissed

On September 24, 2020, McDougal's defamation lawsuit against Fox News was dismissed.

June 2021: FEC Finds National Enquirer Violated Election Laws

In June 2021, the FEC found that the National Enquirer violated U.S. election laws, and that the payment to McDougal was an illegal campaign contribution.

March 2023: Manhattan DA Asks Trump to Appear Before Grand Jury

In March 2023, the Manhattan district attorney asked Trump to appear before a grand jury related to the hush money payments.

April 2024: Pecker Testifies in Trump's Criminal Trial

In April 2024, David Pecker testified during Trump's New York criminal trial about conspiring to acquire McDougal's story through the National Enquirer.

May 3, 2024: Hicks Testifies in Trump Trial, Hints Cover-Up

On May 3, 2024, Hope Hicks testified during Trump's criminal trial, suggesting Trump sought to cover up the affair with McDougal.

May 13, 2024: Trump-Cohen Tape Heard in Court; Cohen Asks About Melania

On May 13, 2024, a taped conversation between Trump and Cohen concerning McDougal's hush money payment was played in court. Cohen testified about asking Trump how Melania would react to the news of his affair.