How many PLAYBOY bunnies have hob-nobbed with Presidents? The official number is up for debate. Until the courts settle it, we can officially say that Karen McDougal, PLAYBOY Playmate of the Year 1998, is definitely headline-worthy. 

Karen McDougal, an illustrious career

Before McDougal rose to PLAYBOY greatness, she taught pre-kindergarten for two years. The toddlers under her tutelage are likely still dining out on this experience.

McDougal’s modeled in and out of PLAYBOY and was the first woman to ever make the cover of Men’s Fitness. She’s also appeared in other fitness magazines including Muscle & Fitness, Iron Man, and Physical.

Joining the ranks of Jack Nicholson, Robert DeNiro, and William Shatner, McDougal was directed by Roger Corman in the female gladiator movie The Arena. Aside from this starring role, she’s made cameos in movies including Joe Dirt, Charlie’s Angels, and The Girl Next Door. 

McDougal made headlines in November of 2016, just four days before the United States Presidential Election. The Wall Street Journal reported that McDougal told a friend she had an affair with Donald Trump from 2006 to 2007. 

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Was Karen McDougal in PLAYBOY?

Yes, Karen McDougal was in PLAYBOY. 

After winning an international Venus Swimwear competition in Florida, she was scouted by a PLAYBOY photographer. She was invited out west to do a test shoot. This culminated in her becoming the centerfold for the December 1997 issue of PLAYBOY. 

In May of 1998, she was crowned Playmate of the Year, which was celebrated with a cover and pictorial in the July 1998 issue of PLAYBOY. 

In 2002, she was one of five Playmates to be made into dolls known as Playboy Collectors’ Figures. These anatomically correct toys feature soft plastic skin, anatomically correct features, and even joint articulation. McDougal also appeared in the inaugural Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion swimsuit calendar in 2005.

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