Karen McDougal

Synopsis 

Born and raised in Merrillville, Indiana, Karen McDougal is most famous as the 1998 Playmate of the Year. She is a  pre-kindergarten teacher turned model. She became the first woman to have appeared on the cover of Men’s Fitness magazine.

McDougal also appeared in TV and films like Charlie's Angels, Joe Dirt, Grind, and Lovespring International among others. She claimed that she had a yearlong affair with Donald Trump though Trump’s spokesman denied the affair allegation. 

Early Life And Education

Born in Merrillville, Indiana, on March 23, 1971, Karen McDougal is the daughter of Carol. She belongs to American nationality and ethnicity wise, she is a mix of Cherokee Indian, Scottish and Irish descent. When she was just 9, her mother, Carol, remarried after which the family moved to Sawyer, Michigan. 

McDougal eldest among her four siblings 3 older brothers, Bob, Dave, and Jeff, and a younger sister, Tina. As a child, she studied ballet and tap dance to become a ballerina.

McDougal completed her high school from River Valley High School in 1989. She was heavily involved in school’s music program and won the Michigan state clarinet championship for four years straight. Other than that she was a cheerleader, band member, a member of the color guard and also a part of volleyball and softball team. Her high school nickname was “Barbie” because of her sweet character.

She attended Ferris State University at Big Rapids, Michigan and obtained a degree in Elementary Education. She then went on to become a preschool teacher in Detroit, Michigan.  

Professional Career

Modeling

After working for two years as a preschool teacher, McDougal put her dream to open a learning center for children on hold to pursue a career in acting and modeling. In 1997, she tried out for a local Venus Swimwear swimsuit competition which she won, landing a spot at the international finals in Florida. Her win attracted  Playboy photographer David Mecey. Later, she was called for a test shoot at Playboy Studio West.  Impressed by McDougal, she was called in for a complete photo and video shoot and was selected as Miss December 1997.

In May 1998, McDougal was named Playmate of the Year at a luncheon at the Playboy Mansion. As her reward, she received $100,000 and a special edition silver Shelby Series 1 convertible with a customized Michigan license plate "PMOY 98".  Her PMOY pictorial featured in the July 1998 issue of Playboy and also graced its cover.

McDougal also became the runner-up as the sexiest Playmate of the 1990s in 2001.  She appeared on The Magic Hour to promote her Playmate of the Year issue.  

Aside from being a Playboy Playmate, McDougal became the first female to feature on the cover of Men’s Fitness magazine, in March 1999. She also made an appearance in fitness and several bodybuilding magazines, including Muscle & Fitness in January 2000, Physical in June 2004 and Iron Man. 

In 2002, Playboy released a limited edition doll based on the likeness of McDougal. She featured alongside fellow Playmates, Pamela Anderson and Tishara Cousin in a photo spread in a fashion and lifestyle magazine Vogue, in early 2004.  

McDougal appeared in the Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion swimsuit calendar as the calendar girl of July for 2005. Besides, she has also made an appearance in various pin-up posters, magazine covers, calendars, advertising campaigns, clothing, swimwear, promotional events and lingerie catalogs.

Film And TV

Prior to modeling, McDougal played small and uncredited characters in films like Joe Dirt,  Charlie's Angels, Grind, The Girl Next Door as well. She was in the TV series, Anger Management, in 2013. Her other work includes Lovespring International, Anger Management, The O'Reilly Factor, Raising Helen. 

As per IMDb page, McDougal will be in the upcoming movie American Zealot along with Cynda Williams and Demond Wilson. According to her social media, McDougal is currently working as a fitness model and a columnist for OK Magazine, Radar Online, and Star Magazine.

Other Work And Hobbies

In 2010, McDougal became one of the owners of Pharmore Alternatives, a company selling various health and wellness supplements. As a promoter, she also attended the 2011 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, in January of 2011.  

Besides, McDougal is an avid motorcycle rider and a car enthusiast. In the year 2004, she purchased a pink custom-built motorcycle which received the Best Radical Custom award. She is also an animal lover and has a small puppy named Shihtzu. 

Net Worth And Height

Karen McDougal stands at the height of 1.73 (5ft 8inch).

As per Celebrity Net Worth, Karen McDougal has an estimated net worth of around $1 million, in February of 2018.

After becoming the Playmate of the Year, McDougal was awarded $100K and a special edition silver Shelby Series 1 worth around $225,000.

McDougal works as a fitness model and a columnist for several well-known magazines like Ok Magazine and Star Magazine.  As per some online sources, McDougal's estimated annual salary is more than $60,419 as a fitness model.

While McDougal was working for the Playboy, she received between $55,989-$60,516. Reportedly, the American Media, Inc. the owner of the National Enquirer offered McDougal $150,000 for revealing her affair with Trump.   

McDougal appeared in a 2000 American action comedy film Charlie’s Angeles. The movie turned out to be commercial success grossing $264.1 million worldwide at the box office.   

Personal Life 

Karen McDougal is unmarried and has no child. Allegedly, she was in a relationship with president Donald Trump for a year. At the time, Trump was married to his current wife, Melania Trump. McDougal reported that they first met at Hugh Hefner’s mansion in June 2006. 

They both started talking at the party and instantly hit it off. Trump eventually asked her phone number which he got by the end of the night. The rumored couple later started talking on the phone and finally began dating, shortly after the birth of his son Barron Trump.

Trump invited McDougal to his private bungalow at Beverly Hills for dinner. The pair got involved physically. She also claims Trump offered her money after they had sex. 

The relationship between them continued for about 10 months and casually ended the relationship in April 2007.  Shortly before the 2016 election, she made an agreement of $150,000 with the American Media, Inc. the owner of the National Enquirer for revealing the story of her affair with Trump. However, the publication is yet to publish the story.

In 2007, Karen was romantically involved with actor Bruce Willis. The couple dated for only a year and broke up in late 2008.

Here is the video mentioning McDougal's five facts.