GettyA former Playboy model has claimed to have had an affair with President of the United States, Donald Trump.
Karen McDougal, who was the 1998 Playmate of the Year, has spoken to The New Yorker about an alleged affair after meeting Trump while he was filmeing The Apprentice at the Playboy Mansion in 2006.
The story was first reported in November 2016 by the Wall Street Journal – four days before the election, though McDougal declined to comment at the time.
The New Yorker has obtained handwritten notes by McDougal, which detail their encounter – she’s verified these for authenticity.
In the story it’s also alleged American Media Inc, publisher of the National Enquirer paid $150,000 for exclusive rights to McDougal’s story which was not published in a practice known as ‘catch and kill’.
The New Yorker says: ‘This is a favorite tactic of the C.E.O. and chairman of AMI, David Pecker, who describes the President as “a personal friend.”‘
As part of the agreement, the AMI agreed to publish a regualr ageing and fitness column by McDougal, which she claims became unfulfilled after Donald Trump won the presidency.
McDougal has not spoken out about her relationship with Trump for fear of violating the terms of the agreement and says she regrets signing the contract:
It took my rights away.
At this point I feel I can’t talk about anything without getting into trouble, because I don’t know what I’m allowed to talk about.
I’m afraid to even mention his name.
Getty UKA White House spokesman has refuted the claims made by McDougal and in a statement said:
This is an old story that is just more fake news. The President says he never had a relationship with McDougal.
McDougal is not the first model to allege an affair with Trump before he pivoted his career into politics.
Stephanie Clifford, who worked in the adult industry under the alias Stormy Daniels, claimed in January she was paid a $130,000 gagging order to stop her talking about an alleged sexual encounter.
Tim Horner is a sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated with a BA Journalism from University College Falmouth before most his colleagues were born. A previous editor of adult mags, he now enjoys bringing the tone down in the viral news sector.