Jenny McCarthy Bio 
Jenny McCarthy is an American model, actress, television host, comedian, and author. She was born Jennifer Ann McCarthy on November 1, 1972, in Evergreen Park, Illinois, United States, a suburb of Chicago. Her zodiac sign is Scorpio. She has also been credited as Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg and Jennifer McCarthy-Wahlberg.
Jenny McCarthy was Playboy’s Playmate of the Month for October 1993. She was 20 years old when the issue was published. Her centerfold and accompanying pictorial, titled “Betting on Jenny,” were photographed by Pompeo Posar. She was subsequently selected as Playboy’s Playmate of the Year for 1994 and appeared in the magazine’s June 1994 issue.
Her Playmate Data Sheet listed her measurements as 38-24-34, with a height of 5 feet 7 inches and a weight of 120 pounds. She has blue eyes and blond hair.
McCarthy grew up as the second of four daughters in a Catholic family on Chicago’s South Side. Her father worked several jobs to support the family and pay for Catholic schooling. She attended Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School and later studied nursing and psychology at Southern Illinois University before leaving because she could no longer afford the tuition.
Before Playboy, McCarthy worked at a neighborhood grocery store and was active in several sports. She played field hockey and softball, participated in cheerleading, and was named the most valuable player of two school teams. She first imagined appearing in Playboy after seeing the company’s Chicago headquarters while she was still in seventh grade.
In early 1993, McCarthy sent photographs to Playboy’s Chicago office despite having no professional modeling experience. Approximately one week after her interview, she completed her first test shoot, and two weeks later she was photographed for her centerfold. She described the initial nude session as intimidating but said she became more comfortable as the shoot progressed.
At the time of her Playboy profile, McCarthy intended to use her earnings to return to college and continue studying for a nursing degree. She also hoped to build an acting career and work in television. Her selection as Playmate of the Year in 1994 provided the national exposure that allowed her to pursue those ambitions.
McCarthy achieved her first major television breakthrough as a co-host of MTV’s dating program Singled Out from 1995 to 1997. She subsequently hosted The Jenny McCarthy Show and starred in the NBC sitcom Jenny. Her later television work included The View, Donnie Loves Jenny, and numerous guest appearances and hosting assignments.
Her film credits include BASEketball, Scream 3, Scary Movie 3, John Tucker Must Die, and Dirty Love. McCarthy wrote, produced, and starred in Dirty Love, which was released in 2005. IMDb identifies the film as one of her principal acting credits.
McCarthy has published several books about pregnancy, motherhood, relationships, religion, and her personal experiences. Her titles include Belly Laughs, Baby Laughs, Life Laughs, Love, Lust & Faking It, and Bad Habits: Confessions of a Recovering Catholic.
Since 2019, she has served as a panelist on the American version of The Masked Singer. She remained part of the program for its fourteenth season, which premiered in January 2026.
McCarthy married actor and musician Donnie Wahlberg in 2014. She has one son, Evan, from her previous marriage to director John Asher.
She shares a unique connection with her sister, Amy McCarthy, who achieved her own distinction as the Playboy Cybergirl of The Month in January 2005. Together, they form a dynamic sisterly bond that adds another layer of intrigue to Jonny's life story.
