Tucker Carlson On December 5, 2019, McDougal filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News. According to the suit, network anchor Tucker Carlson defamed McDougal by saying that she had personally extorted Trump for the hush money she received in 2016. McDougal denies this accusation. On September 24, 2020, Manhattan U.S. District Court Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, a Trump appointee, dismissed the defamation lawsuit, writing that, "The statements are rhetorical hyperbole and opinion commentary intended to frame a political debate, and, as such, are not actionable as defamation". The judge added that the "'general tenor' of the show should then inform a viewer that [Carlson] is not 'stating actual facts' about the topics he discusses and is instead engaging in 'exaggeration' and 'non-literal commentary.'" Fox News released a statement the same day, stating that, "The decision is a victory not just for FOX News Media, but for all defenders of the First Amendment". See also List of people in Playboy 1990–99 2017–18 United States political sexual scandals References External links Karen McDougal at Playboy Online Interview with McDougal about her affair with Trump 1971 births Living people 20th-century American actresses Actresses from Gary, Indiana American film actresses American people of Cherokee descent American people of Irish descent American people of Scottish descent Donald Trump controversies Ferris State University alumni Glamour models Indiana Republicans People from Berrien County, Michigan People from Merrillville, Indiana 1990s Playboy Playmates Playboy Playmates of the Year WWE Diva Search contestants 21st-century American women