Kari Ann Peniche

Kari Ann Peniche Williams (born March 20, 1984) is an American actress, entertainer, and model from Fairview, Oregon. She is of Portuguese and Spanish descent. Peniche first gained national public attention through beauty pageants, holding the titles of Miss Oregon Teen USA and Miss United States Teen. She is also recognized for her appearances on reality television programs, including VH1's Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew, Celebrity Rehab, and Sober House.

Peniche grew up with two younger brothers. Following her parents' divorce, the siblings lived with their mother. After briefly living in Houston, Texas, the family relocated to Fairview, Oregon. At age twelve, Peniche attended a modeling class, and she later secured modeling contracts in Korea at ages 16 and 18. She attended Portland Lutheran High School in Gresham, Oregon, where she was a cheerleader, graduating in 2002. She subsequently took classes at Portland State University and through UCLA Extension.

Peniche won the title of Miss Oregon Teen USA 2002 in November 2001 and competed in the Miss Teen USA 2002 pageant. In 2003, she represented Oregon in the Miss United States Teen pageant, winning the title on November 10, 2003, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Her reign ended after she was stripped of the title for appearing nude in Playboy magazine. Peniche later stated that her pageant contract contained no rules prohibiting nude modeling and noted that the magazine issue was released after her reign had concluded.

Expanding her career into media and fashion, Peniche hosted Xtreem, a Seattle-based cable television program covering local music and extreme sports, as well as the Boom Boom Huck Jam event. As an actress, she appeared in the independent film Small Change, produced in Seattle, along with other television and film projects. Peniche also launched a bikini line called "Strung Out" at Portland Fashion Week.

Beginning in 2009, Peniche appeared on reality television programs focused on addiction treatment at the Pasadena Recovery Center. She joined the cast of Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2009, where she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder alongside substance abuse issues before being discharged. She later returned to the facility during the third season of Celebrity Rehab, completing the program on her second attempt. Peniche subsequently appeared on the spinoff series Sober House, though her stay ended early due to conflicts and rule violations.

Peniche was briefly engaged to singer Aaron Carter in September 2006. In August 2009, she was involved in public media coverage regarding a leaked home video featuring actors Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart. Peniche married Justin Williams in February 2011 in Los Angeles, California, and the couple has two children, a son and a daughter.