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Not to be confused with .
Jennifer Ann "Jenny" McCarthy (born November 1, 1972) is an American model, television host, comedienne, actress, author, screenwriter and anti-vaccine activist. She began her career in 1993 as a
magazine and was later named their . McCarthy then parlayed her Playboy fame into a television and film acting career. She is a former co-host of the
talk show .
McCarthy has written books about
and has become an activist promoting research into environmental causes and
treatments for . She has promoted the idea that
helped cure her son of autism. Both claims are unsupported by medical consensus, and her son's autism diagnosis has been questioned. McCarthy has been described as "the nation's most prominent purveyor of anti-vaxxer ideology", but she has denied the charge, stating: "I am not anti-vaccine".
McCarthy grew up in
(a suburb of ) and South West Chicago. She was born to a working-class
family, and has Irish, German, and Polish ancestry. She lived in the
neighborhood of Chicago.[] She is the seco her sisters are named Lynette, , and Amy. Actress
is her cousin. McCarthy's mother, Linda, was a housewife and courtroom custodian, and her father, Dan McCarthy, was a steel mill foreman.
As a teenager, McCarthy attended
(whose school sweater she donned in the pages of Playboy) and was a cheerleader at both
and , although she has referred to herself as an "outcast" at her school and has stated she was repeatedly bullied by classmates. She spent two years at .
In 1993, Playboy magazine offered McCarthy $20,000 ($32,762 in 2016 currency) to pose for its October issue. McCarthy became the Playmate of the Month for October 1993. Playboy publisher
cites McCarthy's "wholesome Catholic girl" persona as the unique quality for which she was selected out of 10,000 applicants. Her layout emphasized her Catholic upbringing with a schoolgirl theme. According to McCarthy, the pictorial caused an uproar in her Catholic neighborhood, and resulted in her house being pelted with eggs, her sisters being taunted at school, and McCarthy, who counted Catholic nuns among her aunts, being lectured about her future
by those close to her. McCarthy was later made the Playmate of the Year, and was paid a $100,000 salary. In 1994, because of her newfound public attention, McCarthy moved to
and, for a time, hosted Hot Rocks, a
show featuring uncensored .
In 1995, when
chose McCarthy to cohost a new dating show called , she left Hot Rocks. Her job as a host was a success, and Playboy wanted her to do more modeling. That same year, she also appeared at
(WWF) pay-per-view event
as a guest valet for villain , who faced heroic , . She left after the match with the victor, Diesel. McCarthy returned to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE, formerly the WWF) on the
to thank the fans for supporting , an
advocacy organization. In 1996, she landed a small part in the comedy . In 1997, McCarthy launched two shows. The first one was an MTV sketch comedy show , which was sufficiently popular for
to sign her for an eponymous sitcom later that year, . Also in 1997, she appeared on one of two covers for the September issue of Playboy (the other cover featured ). McCarthy also released an autobiography: Jen-X: Jenny McCarthy's Open Book.
In 1998, McCarthy's first major movie role was alongside
in the comedy . The following year, she starred in . In 2000, she had a role in the horror movie , and three years later she
that role in horror film
along with fellow Playmate and actress . In 2005, McCarthy produced, wrote, and starred in the movie , which was directed by her husband at the time, . In March 2006, she was given
for "Worst Actress", "Worst Screenplay", and "Worst Picture" for her work on Dirty Love, which also earned
a Razzie for "Worst Director."
In addition to her early TV fame on MTV and her short-lived, self-titled NBC sitcom, McCarthy has guest starred in a variety of other television shows including , , , , ,
and .[] She was the voice of Six in the third season of Canadian computer-animated science fiction cartoon . In 2005, McCarthy hosted a show on
called Party at the Palms. The , which was filmed at
Hotel in , featured hotel guests, party goers, and celebrities.
McCarthy has continued her work with Playboy over the years, both as a model and in other capacities. She appeared on the cover of the magazine's January 2005 issue wearing a leopard skin version of the company's iconic
and was featured in a pictorial shot at 's
mansion in that same issue. She was the second woman (following ) and first former Playmate to become a celebrity photographer for the , where she photographed model Jennifer Madden.[]
Her younger sister, Amy McCarthy, has also posed for Playboy. She was
for September 27, 2004, and
for January 2005.
In 2007, McCarthy starred in a five-episode online series, called , along with
and . The show aired on
and was based on being a mother where users could submit their stories to have it made into real webisodes.
She has also appeared in two video games: playing the role of Agent Tanya in the video game , replacing , and the fitness video game Your Shape Featuring Jenny McCarthy.
On December 31, 2010, McCarthy was a correspondent in
for 's . She also appeared in the 40th anniversary of ABC's New Year celebration where she kissed a nearby New York City cop. She appeared in the edition of December 31, 2012 of New Year's Rockin' Eve and kissed a midshipman of the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
She was the host of season 2 of , which aired in the summer of 2012.
She was on the cover of Playboy in the August 2012 issue after saying she wanted to pose for it again before her 40th birthday.
After 17 guest appearances, in July 2013 McCarthy was announced as a new co-host on 's , replacing former co-host .
praised McCarthy's intelligence, warmth, humor and fresh point of view, and calling her a great addition to the show. She debuted as a co-host on September 9, 2013. The departures of McCarthy and co-host
from The View were announced in June 2014. The Wrap reported that ABC had decided not to renew McCarthy's contract. In an interview with Access Hollywood, McCarthy denied being fired from the show.
McCarthy became a
series host of a show called Dirty, Sexy, Funny with Jenny McCarthy on July 16.
McCarthy in April 2005
McCarthy once modeled for , a shoe company. In one magazine ad, McCarthy posed on a toilet seat with her underwear near her ankles. Cultural scholar Collin Gifford Brooke wrote that the ad's " nature" brought it attention, while noting that the ad itself helped to weaken that taboo. Another Candie's ad depicted McCarthy "passing wind" in a crowded elevator.
McCarthy dated manager Ray Manzella from 1994 until 1998 and began dating actor/director
late in 1998. The couple became engaged in January 1999 and married on September 11 of that year. They have a son, Evan Joseph Asher, born on May 18, 2002, who was diagnosed with
on May 10, 2005. McCarthy and Asher
in September 2005.
In December 2005, McCarthy began dating actor . They did not make their relationship public until June 2006. She announced on
on April 2, 2008 that she and Carrey were living together but had no plans to marry, as they did not need a "piece of paper". Carrey almost made a mock proposal to McCarthy as a promotion to the film
(2008) for Ellen's Twelve Days of Holidays. In April 2010, McCarthy and Carrey announced that they had split up.
In July 2013, McCarthy stated that she was dating . On April 16, 2014 McCarthy announced live on
that she and Wahlberg were engaged, and they wed on August 31, 2014.
McCarthy speaking at the 2008 Ante Up For Autism benefit
In May 2007, McCarthy announced that her son Evan was diagnosed with
in 2005. Before claiming that her son's autism was caused by vaccination, McCarthy wrote that he was gifted, a "crystal child", and she an "". Evan's disorder began with seizures and his improvement occurred after the seizures were treated, symptoms experts have noted are more consistent with , often misdiagnosed as autism. She has denied that her son was misdiagnosed. In a 2014
article, she says her son is now 12 and doing okay: "Evan's amazing,... He doesn't meet the diagnostic characteristics for autism. He definitely has quirks and issues from the seizures. He has a little bit of brain damage due to his seizures. He doesn't qualify for any more services, but he does have issues in his school." McCarthy served as a spokesperson for
(TACA) from June 2007 until October 2008. She participated in fundraisers, online chats, and other activities for the
to help families affected by
disorders. Her first fundraiser for TACA, Ante Up for Autism, was held on October 20, 2007, in . She is a prominent spokesperson and activist for the
foundation, and serves on its Board of Directors as of January 2011.
McCarthy's book dealing with autism, Louder than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism, was published September 17, 2007. She stated both in her book and during her appearance on
that her husband was unable to deal with their son's autism, which led to their divorce. In 2008, she appeared on a
special dedicated to the subject and argued that . In an April 27, 2010 PBS
documentary, she was interviewed about the controversy between vaccine opponents and public health experts.
In addition to conventional, intensive , McCarthy tried for her son a
and , , , , electromagnetics, spoons rubbed on his body, multivitamin therapy, B-12 shots, and numerous prescription drugs. "Try everything", she advises parents. "It was amazing to watch, over the course of doing this, how certain therapies work for certain kids and they completely don't work for others.... When something didn't work for Evan, I didn't stop. I stopped that treatment, but I didn't stop." McCarthy has stated on talk shows and at rallies that
helped her son recover from autism. The underlying rationale for chelation, the speculation that , has been roundly rejected by scientific studies, with the
concluding that children with autism are unlikely to receive any benefit to balance the risks of heart attack, stroke and cardiac arrest posed by the
used in the treatment.
McCarthy's public presence and vocal activism on the , led, in 2008, to her being awarded the
Educational Foundation's , which is a
award granted for contributions to , for the 'Performer Who Has Fooled the Greatest Number of People with the Least Amount of Effort'. Randi stated in a video on the JREF's website that he did sympathize with the plight of McCarthy and her child, but admonished her for using her public presence in a way that may discourage parents from having their own children vaccinated.
McCarthy's claims that vaccines cause autism are not supported by any medical evidence, and the original paper by
that formed the basis for the claims (and for whose book McCarthy wrote a foreword) has been shown to be based on manipulated data and fraudulent research. The
published a 2011 article by journalist , based on information uncovered by
after the British
(GMC) inquiry into allegations of
against Wakefield that led to him being struck off from the medical register (unable to practice medicine in the UK) and his articles retracted, stating that Wakefield had planned a venture to profit from the
issued a statement that the "media circus" following the revelation of Wakefield's fraud and manipulation of data was "much ado about nothing", which led
to report that McCarthy had "taken a beating on Twitter".
responded to Generation Rescue's statement:
"It's high time the woman who once said that 'I do believe sadly it's going to take some diseases coming back to realize that we need to change and develop vaccines that are safe' took a step back and reconsidered the merits of that increasingly crackpot stance. And it's time she acknowledged that clinging to research that's been deemed patently fraudulent does not make one a 'mother warrior.' It makes her a menace."
In January 2011, McCarthy defended Wakefield, saying that he had listened to parents, reported what they said, and recommended further investigation. "Since when is repeating the words of parents and recommending further investigation a crime? As I've learned, the answer is whenever someone questions the safety of any vaccines. For some reason, parents aren't being told that this "new" information about Dr. Wakefield isn't a medical report, but merely the allegations of a single British journalist named Brian Deer", she said of the controversy.
Having written three books on the subject after McCarthy's son was diagnosed with the syndrome, "by dint of sheer energy and celebrity, she became the nation's most prominent purveyor of anti-vaxxer ideology", and has reiterated that she is not against vaccines. In an earlier October 2013 interview for , McCarthy is quoted as saying:
"It's been three years now since I've even talked about autism or vaccines — I was taken aback when people freaked out that I was going to come on The View and preach.... I will clarify my stance, which is still the same: That parents are in charge. Space it out, slow it down and do your homework. But I am not at all against vaccines."
, senior writer at
Magazine, has criticized McCarthy several times. In an open letter article referring to their past conflicts, he chided her and did not accept her denials:
"Jenny, as outbreaks of measles, mumps and whooping cough continue to appear in the U.S.—most the result of parents refusing to vaccinate their children because of the scare stories passed around by anti-vaxxers like you—it's just too late to play cute with the things you've said. You are either floridly, loudly, uninformedly antivaccine or you are the most grievously misunderstood celebrity of the modern era. Science almost always prefers the simple answer, because that's the one that's usually correct. Your quote trail is far too long—and you have been far too wrong—for the truth not to be obvious."
One month later in May 2014, McCarthy published an opinion-editorial addressing her position on vaccines, which specifically mentions Time writer Jeffrey Kluger:
"I am not 'anti-vaccine.' This is not a change in my stance nor is it a new position that I have recently adopted. For years, I have repeatedly stated that I am, in fact, 'pro-vaccine' and for years I have been wrongly branded as 'anti-vaccine.' [...] Blatantly inaccurate blog posts about my position have been accepted as truth by the public at large as well as media outlets (legitimate and otherwise), who have taken those false stories and repeatedly turned them into headlines."
During a subsequent
interview she stated:
"I am not anti-vaccine,... I'm in this gray zone of, I think everyone should be aware and educate yourself and ask questions. And if your kid is having a problem, ask your doctor for an alternative way of doing the shots.... The ironic thing is my position has always remained the same. People just never listened to it."
article about celebrities who "speak out about illness,"
criticized McCarthy and her views on vaccines, , and autism. He had this to say about her influence: "She has no idea what she is talking about. What she said is misleading and harmful, and the measles outbreak is a clear indication of the response to the spread of such pseudoscientific myths."
McCarthy's appointment to The View called forth many protests. Amy Pisani of
stated of McCarthy's anti-vaccination stance, in a letter to The View's
and , that McCarthy's "unfounded claims that vaccines cause autism have been one of the greatest impediments to public health in recent decades," and that McCarthy's assertions "[have] spread fear among young parents, which has led to an increased number of children who have not received life-saving vaccines."
, a television critic for
magazine, criticized McCarthy's addition to the series and Walters' endorsement of McCarthy, arguing that The View is largely aimed at parents, on whom the public health system is dependent, and that the credibility that McCarthy's hiring will give her will endanger the public. Poniewozik argued that McCarthy's views, which might be brought up in discussions with the other hosts, would have the effect of framing the issue of whether vaccines cause autism as a matter of opinion, rather than a firmly refuted idea.
David Freeman, senior science editor for , wrote about the concerns of , who stated: "I believe Ms. McCarthy's views will be discredited."
also protested and published a letter to ABC in , entitled "Anti-vaccine conspiracist and 'View' co-host Jenny McCarthy isn't just quirky—she spreads lies that hurt people."
, writing in , stated:
"Jenny McCarthy... will be the show's first co-host whose dangerous views on childhood vaccination may—if only indirectly—have contributed to the sickness and death of people throughout the Western world. McCarthy, who is savvy, telegenic, and pulchritudinous, is also the person most visibly associated with the deadly and authoritatively discredited anti-vaccine movement in the United States."
, writing in , commented:
"ABC's announcement yesterday that actress/comedian Jenny McCarthy will become a co-host of The View brought forth a torrent of condemnation from doctors, science journalists, opinion writers, and even entertainment commentators who oppose giving the anti-vaccine activist a high-profile platform to spread misinformation." After an extensive review of news coverage of the hiring, he concluded that "[t]here is no perfect way to cover McCarthy's hiring, of course, but giving "balanced" coverage to fringe beliefs is the worst approach to covering misinformation."
officially denounced the appointment and "launched a Twitter campaign to get model and actress Jenny McCarthy fired from the ABC show The View":
"'Jenny McCarthy's anti-vaccine views = misinformation. Please ask The View to change their mind,' the department wrote on Twitter. 'Jenny McCarthy cites fraudulent research on vaccines & it's irresponsible to provide her with The View platform.'"
, member of the
and Editor of , objected to the appointment and wrote about "Jenny McCarthy's Vaccination Fear-Mongering and the Cult of False Equivalence":
"One of the most prominent promoters of this falsehood ["'s falsified claims"] is actress Jenny McCarthy, who was recently named as Elisabeth Hasselbeck's replacement on ABC's hit daytime talk-show, The View. Once she's on air, it will be difficult to prevent her from advocating for the anti-vaccine movement. And the mere act of hiring her would seem to credit her as a reliable source....By giving science deniers a public forum, media outlets implicitly condone their claims as legitimate....False equivalency is one of journalism's great pitfalls, and in an effort to achieve "balance," reporters often obscure the truth. What's the merit in "he said, she said" reporting when he says the world is round and she insists it is flat. Indeed, there is an enormous cost to society when the truth could save lives."
McCarthy responded to the criticism during her media tour to promote The View. Appearing on , where Stern praised her for landing such a "legitimate job", McCarthy explained that she is not anti-vaccine, but rather she opposes too many vaccines in one sitting because that, she said, causes immune disregulation, which she said can cause autism.
Jen-X: Jenny McCarthy's Open Book, an autobiography ( November 1997, ).
Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth (DaCapo Press, December 13, 2005, )
Baby Laughs: The Naked Truth about the First Year of Mommyhood (Plume, April 4, 2006, )
Life Laughs: The Naked Truth about Motherhood, Marriage, and Moving On (Plume, March 27, 2007, )
Louder than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism (Plume, September 17, 2007, )
(Plume, September 23, 2008, )
Healing and Preventing Autism Co-written with Dr. Jerry Kartzinel. (, March 31, 2009, )
Love, Lust & Faking It: The Naked Truth About Sex, Lies, and True Romance (Harper, September 28, 2010, )
Bad Habits: Confessions of a Recovering Catholic (Hyperion, October 2, 2012, ),
Blonde Nurse
Glamorous Actress
Yvette Denslow
Sarah Darling
Candy Brooks
Francesca Garibaldi
made for TV
Thank Heaven
Whitney Ann Barnsley
Katie Embry
Rebecca Sommers
made for TV
Lori Spencer
Mary Class/Mary Claus
made for TV
Mary Class/Mary Claus
made for TV
Guest star in episode "Young at Heart"
Unsold pilot
Untitled Jenny McCarthy Project
Unsold pilot
Gretchen Bix episode "Popdukes"
2 episodes as Candy LaRue in "Queen Bea" and "Candy Land"
Canceled after 6 episodes
Party @ the Palms
Voice of Six
Courtney, Charlie's On-and-Off Girlfriend
Saturday Night's Main Event XXXVI
Episode "Chuck vs. the Suburbs"
2010–present
Times Square correspondent
Windy City Live
2014–present
2015–present
(2008) - Special Agent Tanya
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to .
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Ronan Keating
Preceded by
second co-host
Succeeded by
Nicolle Wallace
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