Karen McDougal

Karen McDougal (born March 23, 1971) is an American model and actress. She gained widespread recognition for her appearances in Playboy magazine, serving as Playmate of the Month for December 1997 and Playmate of the Year in 1998. She is also widely known for an alleged 10-month to year-long affair with Donald Trump from 2006 to 2007, which received significant media coverage around the 2016 United States presidential election.

McDougal was born in Merrillville, Indiana, and raised in Sawyer, Michigan. She studied tap dance and ballet in her youth and participated in cheerleading, athletics, and music during high school. After graduating from River Valley High School in 1989, she attended Ferris State University, majoring in elementary education. She later moved to a suburb of Detroit where she taught pre-kindergarten before transitioning into modeling.

Her career began with promotional modeling at a Harley-Davidson bike show, followed by a victory in a local Venus Swimwear competition in 1997. This led to a test shoot with Playboy, resulting in her selection as Miss December 1997. In May 1998, Hugh Hefner and readers selected her as 1998 Playmate of the Year, awarding her a cash prize and a custom Shelby Series 1 convertible. In 2001, Playboy readers voted her runner-up for the sexiest Playmate of the 1990s.

McDougal expanded her career into fitness modeling, becoming the first female cover figure for Men's Fitness magazine in March 1999. Over the following decade, she appeared in numerous health and bodybuilding publications, including Muscle & Fitness, Physical, and Iron Man. Her work also included print campaigns for Patrón, an appearance in Italian Vogue, and collaboration on a limited-edition bronze statuette and a collectible doll modeled after her likeness.

In television and film, McDougal starred in the 2001 direct-to-video dramatic movie The Arena and appeared in commercials for the XFL football league. She participated as a contestant in the 2002 Wild Off! hosting search and reached the final selection round of the 2004 WWE Diva Search. Additionally, she guest hosted television programs, appeared in minor cameo film roles, and co-owned the health supplement company Pharmore Alternatives starting in 2010.

In late 2016, The Wall Street Journal published details regarding her alleged relationship with Donald Trump and a subsequent $150,000 contract with American Media, Inc. Outside of her entertainment career, McDougal is an advocate for breast cancer awareness, a motor vehicle collector who won an Easyriders custom motorcycle award in 2004, and a registered Republican voter.