History of Karen McDougal in Timeline

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.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Controversies & Scandals

March 23, 1971: Karen McDougal Born

On March 23, 1971, Karen McDougal was born. She later became an American model and actress, known for her Playboy appearances and alleged affair with Donald Trump.

1989: Graduated High School

In 1989, Karen McDougal graduated from high school and attended Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan, where she majored in elementary education.

December 1997: Playboy Mansion Experience

In December 1997, Karen McDougal experienced the Playboy Mansion as Miss December. She would later reflect on this during an interview for E! True Hollywood Story in 2006.

December 1997: Miss December 1997

In December 1997, Karen McDougal was chosen as Miss December 1997 by Playboy. Her pictorial, by photographers Richard Fegley and Stephen Wayda, has a winter theme.

December 1997: Playboy Playmate of the Month

In December 1997, Karen McDougal was featured as Playboy's Playmate of the Month. This was a defining moment in her modeling career.

May 1998: Playmate of the Year

In May 1998, Karen McDougal was announced as 1998's Playmate of the Year (PMOY) at a luncheon at the Playboy Mansion.

July 1998: PMOY Pictorial in Playboy

In July 1998, Karen McDougal's PMOY pictorial was featured in Playboy, and she appeared on its cover. The outdoor portion was shot in Saint Lucia.

1998: Playboy Playmate of the Year

In 1998, Karen McDougal was named Playboy's Playmate of the Year. This prestigious title recognized her success and popularity as a model.

March 1999: First Woman on Men's Fitness Cover

In March 1999, Karen McDougal became the first woman to appear on the cover of Men's Fitness magazine, transitioning her career into fitness modeling.

January 2000: Appeared in Muscle & Fitness Magazine

In January 2000, Karen McDougal appeared in Muscle & Fitness magazine, continuing her foray into fitness modeling.

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.

2001: Co-starred in The Arena

In 2001, Karen McDougal co-starred with Lisa Dergan in "The Arena", a direct-to-video movie produced by Roger Corman and directed by Timur Bekmambetov.

2001: Runner-up of "The sexiest Playmate of the 1990s"

In 2001, Playboy readers voted Karen McDougal the runner-up of "The sexiest Playmate of the 1990s." This acknowledged her lasting appeal and impact.

2002: Expressed Interest in Posing Nude for Playboy Again

In 2002, Karen McDougal expressed interest in posing nude for Playboy again if offered, during an online chat.

2002: Wild Off! Contestant

In 2002, Karen McDougal was one of 12 contestants in the search for the new host for Wild On! at The Palms in Las Vegas, but she did not advance to the final round.

2002: Playboy Doll Release

In 2002, Playboy released a Playboy Collectors' Figure Series limited edition doll based on the likeness of Karen McDougal.

2003: Warrior Princess Statuette

In 2003, Karen McDougal collaborated with Bill Toma to create a limited edition bronze statuette titled Warrior Princess.

May 2004: Appearance at Wrestling Bout

In May 2004, Karen McDougal traveled to Yokohama, Japan, to be one of the eye candies for the wrestling bout between Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.

June 2004: Appeared in Physical Magazine

In June 2004, Karen McDougal appeared in Physical magazine, further establishing her career in fitness modeling.

July 15, 2004: WWE Diva Search Finalist

On July 15, 2004, Karen McDougal advanced to the 2004 WWE Diva Search special in New York, televised live on Spike TV, but was eliminated just prior to the final 10.

2004: Shot at the Playboy Mansion

In 2004, Karen McDougal shot at the Playboy Mansion for the 2005 Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion swimsuit calendar as the calendar girl of July.

2004: Motorcycle Competition Win

In 2004, Karen McDougal's custom-built motorcycle won the Best Radical Custom award at an Easyriders-sponsored competition in Pomona, California.

October 2005: Iron Man Cover Appearance

In October 2005, Karen McDougal appeared on the cover of Iron Man magazine, showcasing her fitness modeling career.

2005: Playmates at Play Calendar

In 2005, Karen McDougal appeared in the Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion swimsuit calendar as the calendar girl of July, shot in 2004.

January 2006: "Hardbody" of the Month in Iron Man

In January 2006, Karen McDougal appeared as "Hardbody" of the month in a 10-page pictorial in Iron Man magazine, continuing her fitness modeling work.

April 9, 2006: E! True Hollywood Story Interview

On April 9, 2006, Karen McDougal appeared as one of the interviewees in the E! True Hollywood Story episode focusing on Hugh Hefner, describing her experience as Miss December 1997.

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.

November 2006: "Celebrity Playmate Gift Guide" Pictorial

In November 2006, Karen McDougal appeared in the "Celebrity Playmate Gift Guide" pictorial of Splat magazine with Tina Marie Jordan and Katie Lohmann.

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.

June 2007: Iron Man Cover Appearance

In June 2007, Karen McDougal appeared on the cover of Iron Man magazine, furthering her career as a fitness model.

2007: Lived in Los Angeles and Phoenix

As of 2007, Karen McDougal lived in Los Angeles and Phoenix, Arizona.

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.

March 2008: Interviu Pictorial and Interview

In March 2008, Karen McDougal appeared in a topless pictorial and interview in Spanish magazine Interviu, discussing her relationship with Bruce Willis.

November 2009: "Hardbody" of the Month in Iron Man

In November 2009, Karen McDougal returned as "Hardbody" of the month in Iron Man magazine, appearing in a pictorial with Katie Lohmann.

2010: Owner of Pharmore Alternatives

In 2010, Karen McDougal became one of the owners of Pharmore Alternatives, a company selling health and wellness supplements.

January 2011: AVN Adult Entertainment Expo

In January 2011, Karen McDougal attended the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo to promote Pharmore Alternatives' products.

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.

January 2017: Breast Implant Removal

In January 2017, Karen McDougal had her breast implants removed after her health had worsened. She's an advocate of breast cancer awareness.

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.

2018: Registered Republican Voter

In 2018, Karen McDougal stated that she was registered as a Republican voter.

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.