http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/308997/trump-national-enquirer-affair-playboy-playmate-karen-mcdougal/
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The Wall Street Journal broke the news Friday night that the parent company of the National Enquirer paid $150,000 to kill a story about Trump’s decade-old affair with Karen McDougal, the 1998 Playboy Playmate of the Year. McDougal is reported to have had a 10-month affair with Trump beginning in 2006 and lasting through 2007. Trump was married to Melania Trump at the time.
According to contracts obtained and reviewed by the Journal, parent company American Media Inc. signed an agreement granting exclusive rights to the story of her affair with Trump, but never published it. As stated in the contract, despite not publishing it, they still own the rights to the story, meaning McDougal is legally forbidden to talk or write about the affair elsewhere. In what is known as a “catch and kill,” they paid six figures to bury the story.
Trump is a longtime friend and backer of the Enquirer.
From WSJ:
In a written statement, the company said it wasn’t buying Ms. McDougal’s story for $150,000, but rather two years’ worth of her fitness columns and magazine covers as well as exclusive life rights to any relationship she has had with a then-married man. “AMI has not paid people to kill damaging stories about Mr. Trump,” the statement said.
Should McDougal speak about the affair elsewhere, including on social media, AMI can sue her for damages of at least $150,000. She has not written for or appeared in an AMI publications. While McDougal did not respond for comment, multiple friends of hers confirmed to the Journal that said relationship took place.
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