Kari Ann Peniche
Encyclopedia
Kari Ann Peniche (born March 20, 1984) is a former beauty queen and entertainer from Fairview
, Oregon
. She has held the Miss Oregon Teen USA
and Miss United States Teen
titles. She was stripped of the latter title after appearing nude in the November 2004 issue of Playboy
magazine.
Peniche lived in San Diego before moving to Houston and then Oregon with her mother. She first attended a modeling class at age 12, and modeled in South Korea
at ages 16 and 18. Since her Playboy pictorial, she has launched a fashion business, and has appeared on television and in movies. She has been the subject of several celebrity gossip stories, including a brief engagement to singer Aaron Carter
, a quarrel with singer Mindy McCready
, and the leak of a controversial home video involving actors Eric Dane
and Rebecca Gayheart
. She is also well known to television audiences for her appearances on the first season of Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew
, the third season of Celebrity Rehab, and a brief appearance on the second season of Sober House.
on March 20, 1984. Her father was a professional musician and songwriter from the Yucatán, Mexico
. Her mother, Lee Ann Rosenbarger, is a business consultant; Peniche has two younger brothers, and grew up speaking Spanish with her father's family. After their parents divorced, the three children stayed with their mother, who was strict about schoolwork.
She attended a modeling class when she was 12. After moving the family briefly to Houston, Texas
, Peniche's mother remarried and moved them to a home on Blue Lake in Fairview, Oregon. At age 16 Peniche won a six week contract to model in Korea. She returned for another six week stint when she was 18.
Peniche attended Portland Lutheran High School in Gresham, Oregon
, where she was a cheerleader. She graduated in 2001, and later attended Portland State University
. and UCLA
.
In an interview with Steppin' Out
magazine, Peniche said that she was sexually abused as a minor.
2002 title in November 2001. She competed in the Miss Teen USA 2002
pageant but did not place. At the end of her reign she crowned Tami Farrell
as the new Miss Oregon Teen USA. The following year she represented Oregon
in the Miss United States Teen
pageant, which she won. She was crowned November 10, 2003 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
. Peniche was considered an unconventional pageant winner, for her fashion and career choices.
She was later stripped of her Miss United States Teen title after appearing nude in Playboy
magazine. Peniche claimed that there was nothing in her contract about not doing nude shoots, and since the issue did not hit stands until after her reign had ended, she did not think there would be an issue.
Peniche has gone on to host Xtreem, a Seattle-based cable television program featuring local bands and extreme sport
s, and the Boom Boom Huck Jam event. She acted in Small Change, an independent film produced in Seattle, and has appeared in other movies and TV shows. She also launched a line of bikinis called "Strung Out" at Portland Fashion Week.
, then 18 years old, proposed to Peniche while they were onstage in Las Vegas, Nevada
. They had known each other five days. Peniche, who had previously dated his older brother Nick
, agreed. The engagement was broken off six days later.
On August 17, 2009, a home video was posted on the website Gawker that showed Peniche with married couple and actors Eric Dane
and Rebecca Gayheart
. All three are naked, though the video does not contain any sexual acts. Though it is unknown how the video was made public, it had been stored on a hard drive that was the subject of a dispute between Peniche and Mindy McCready during their time on Celebrity Rehab.
Starting in November 2009, Peniche appeared as a patient on the VH1
television show Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew
, a documentary series about the treatment process for sexual addiction
(filmed in April 2009) at the Pasadena Recovery Center. Peniche described herself as having hundreds of lovers, but being unable to emotionally connect with anyone or have any kind of relationship. Peniche's participation in the treatment program was marred by her aggressive and erratic behavior: verbally abusing the staff and other patients, refusing to participate in group discussions or obey rules, forcefully demanding that the staff fetch her fruit juice and bring it to her bedside, and accusing people of laughing at her when they clearly were not, and smiling uncontrollably even when she was discussing unpleasant topics. Dr. Drew Pinsky, the treating physician, became suspicious that she was using illicit substances such as methamphetamine
or had been prior to being admitted, and the staff psychiatrist diagnosed her as having borderline personality disorder
. It was indicated that both conditions require treatment before any treatment can be done for sexual addiction. She was eventually discharged involuntarily for failing to comply with the program's guidelines. Pinsky offered her an alternative program at a psychiatric hospital nearby, but she refused, and during the process of being evicted, she made suicidal gestures
and became abusive toward the staff, throwing a container of water onto a technician, for example.
Later, during production of the third season of Celebrity Rehab, Peniche contacted Pinsky, asking for help. Pinsky explains that her aggressive behavior during Sex Rehab was derived from drugs she smuggled in a teddy bear
, and were difficult to detect during drug testing because of the medication Peniche took for attention deficit disorder. Pinsky went to her residence, where Peniche showed him the crystal meth
she was using. She was shown returning to the Pasadena Recovery Center at the end of that season's fourth episode. Executive producer John Irwin says her behavior had changed by her second appearance, though she did punch a cameraman at one point. In her second stint at the Pasadena Recovery Center, Peniche again exhibited some problematic behavior, including conflict with the staff and other patients, as well as violations of the facility's rules, though she completed the program.
Peniche joined the cast of Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House
, in which she went to living in a sober living facility, an interim step between rehab and returning to society. In the first episode, she became abusive toward the sober living manager, Jennifer Gimenez, and tested positive for methamphetamine
. Peniche revealed during the second episode that she was worried that her Rehab costar, Mindy McCready
, who moved in with Peniche following Rehab, had access to sensitive materials on Peniche's computer. (It was later reported that the two argued over money and an accusation over a stolen hard drive containing the nude video featuring Peniche, Eric Dane
, and Rebecca Gayheart
.) As Peniche was being filmed returning to her home to address this matter, she punched a cameraman in the eye, and was evicted from the sober living facility. A few days later, Head Counselor Bob Forrest
brought Peniche back to the facility to see if the residents would accept her return, but with the exception of resident Tom Sizemore
, the residents declined Peniche's request to return, and she left amid criticism by Heidi Fleiss
.
Fairview, Oregon
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,561 people, 2,831 households, and 1,936 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,360.8 people per square mile . There were 3,116 housing units at an average density of 972.9 per square mile...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. She has held the Miss Oregon Teen USA
Miss Oregon Teen USA
The Miss Oregon Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Oregon in the Miss Teen USA pageant.Until Tennessee's victory in 2009, Oregon was the only state to win more than one Miss Teen USA title - they have produced three winners...
and Miss United States Teen
Miss United States Teen
thumb|right|200px|Miss United States Teen 2003 - Kari Ann Penichethumb|right|200px|Miss United States Teen 1998 - Carrie StroupThe Miss United States Teen pageant is a beauty contest held in the United States for teenagers between the ages of 15-19 and has been held every year since 1992.Many...
titles. She was stripped of the latter title after appearing nude in the November 2004 issue of Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine.
Peniche lived in San Diego before moving to Houston and then Oregon with her mother. She first attended a modeling class at age 12, and modeled in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
at ages 16 and 18. Since her Playboy pictorial, she has launched a fashion business, and has appeared on television and in movies. She has been the subject of several celebrity gossip stories, including a brief engagement to singer Aaron Carter
Aaron Carter
Aaron Charles Carter is an American singer. He came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among pre-teen and teenage audiences during the early-first decade of the 21st century....
, a quarrel with singer Mindy McCready
Mindy McCready
Melinda Gayle "Mindy" McCready is an American country music singer. Active since 1996, she has recorded a total of five studio albums. Her debut album, 1996's Ten Thousand Angels, was released on BNA Records and was certified 2× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA, while 1997's If I Don't Stay the...
, and the leak of a controversial home video involving actors Eric Dane
Eric Dane
Eric Dane is an American actor. After appearing in television roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he became known for playing Dr...
and Rebecca Gayheart
Rebecca Gayheart
-Early life:Gayheart was born in Hazard, Kentucky and raised in Pine Top, Kentucky, the daughter of Floneva , who worked as a Mary Kay independent beauty consultant, and Curtis Gayheart, a miner and coal truck driver. She is of Irish, Italian, and German descent...
. She is also well known to television audiences for her appearances on the first season of Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew
Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew
Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew is a VH1 reality television show that documents people being treated for sexual addiction by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. Premiering on November 1, 2009, Sex Rehab is a spin-off of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, in...
, the third season of Celebrity Rehab, and a brief appearance on the second season of Sober House.
Early life and modeling career
Peniche was born in San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
on March 20, 1984. Her father was a professional musician and songwriter from the Yucatán, Mexico
Yucatán Peninsula
The Yucatán Peninsula, in southeastern Mexico, separates the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico, with the northern coastline on the Yucatán Channel...
. Her mother, Lee Ann Rosenbarger, is a business consultant; Peniche has two younger brothers, and grew up speaking Spanish with her father's family. After their parents divorced, the three children stayed with their mother, who was strict about schoolwork.
She attended a modeling class when she was 12. After moving the family briefly to Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Peniche's mother remarried and moved them to a home on Blue Lake in Fairview, Oregon. At age 16 Peniche won a six week contract to model in Korea. She returned for another six week stint when she was 18.
Peniche attended Portland Lutheran High School in Gresham, Oregon
Gresham, Oregon
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 90,205 people, 33,327 households, and 22,695 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,071.6 people per square mile . There were 35,309 housing units at an average density of 1,593.8 per square mile...
, where she was a cheerleader. She graduated in 2001, and later attended Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
. and UCLA
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.
In an interview with Steppin' Out
Steppin' Out (magazine)
Steppin' Out is a weekly entertainment industry-oriented magazine published by Chaunce Hayden that bills itself as "New York and New Jersey's #1 Entertainment Magazine". The main feature of each issue is its cover feature, an interview of a celebrity by Hayden...
magazine, Peniche said that she was sexually abused as a minor.
Career
Peniche won the Miss Oregon Teen USAMiss Oregon Teen USA
The Miss Oregon Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Oregon in the Miss Teen USA pageant.Until Tennessee's victory in 2009, Oregon was the only state to win more than one Miss Teen USA title - they have produced three winners...
2002 title in November 2001. She competed in the Miss Teen USA 2002
Miss Teen USA 2002
Miss Teen USA 2002, the 20th Miss Teen USA pageant, was televised live from South Padre Island, Texas on 28 August 2002. At the conclusion of the final competition, Miss Wisconsin Teen USA Vanessa Marie Semrow was crowned by outgoing queen Marissa Whitley of Missouri.This was the second...
pageant but did not place. At the end of her reign she crowned Tami Farrell
Tami Farrell
Tami Nichole Farrell is a former Miss Teen USA from Phoenix, Oregon who placed first runner-up in Miss California 2009 and was crowned Miss California USA after Carrie Prejean was dethroned by pageant officials in 2009....
as the new Miss Oregon Teen USA. The following year she represented Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
in the Miss United States Teen
Miss United States Teen
thumb|right|200px|Miss United States Teen 2003 - Kari Ann Penichethumb|right|200px|Miss United States Teen 1998 - Carrie StroupThe Miss United States Teen pageant is a beauty contest held in the United States for teenagers between the ages of 15-19 and has been held every year since 1992.Many...
pageant, which she won. She was crowned November 10, 2003 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
. Peniche was considered an unconventional pageant winner, for her fashion and career choices.
She was later stripped of her Miss United States Teen title after appearing nude in Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine. Peniche claimed that there was nothing in her contract about not doing nude shoots, and since the issue did not hit stands until after her reign had ended, she did not think there would be an issue.
Peniche has gone on to host Xtreem, a Seattle-based cable television program featuring local bands and extreme sport
Extreme sport
An extreme sport is a popular term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent danger...
s, and the Boom Boom Huck Jam event. She acted in Small Change, an independent film produced in Seattle, and has appeared in other movies and TV shows. She also launched a line of bikinis called "Strung Out" at Portland Fashion Week.
Personal life
In September 2006 Aaron CarterAaron Carter
Aaron Charles Carter is an American singer. He came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among pre-teen and teenage audiences during the early-first decade of the 21st century....
, then 18 years old, proposed to Peniche while they were onstage in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. They had known each other five days. Peniche, who had previously dated his older brother Nick
Nick Carter (musician)
Nickolas Gene "Nick" Carter is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, musician, entertainer and actor. He is best known as a member of the pop group, Backstreet Boys. He went on to release a solo album called Now Or Never during their hiatus. He has made occasional television appearances and...
, agreed. The engagement was broken off six days later.
On August 17, 2009, a home video was posted on the website Gawker that showed Peniche with married couple and actors Eric Dane
Eric Dane
Eric Dane is an American actor. After appearing in television roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he became known for playing Dr...
and Rebecca Gayheart
Rebecca Gayheart
-Early life:Gayheart was born in Hazard, Kentucky and raised in Pine Top, Kentucky, the daughter of Floneva , who worked as a Mary Kay independent beauty consultant, and Curtis Gayheart, a miner and coal truck driver. She is of Irish, Italian, and German descent...
. All three are naked, though the video does not contain any sexual acts. Though it is unknown how the video was made public, it had been stored on a hard drive that was the subject of a dispute between Peniche and Mindy McCready during their time on Celebrity Rehab.
Starting in November 2009, Peniche appeared as a patient on the VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
television show Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew
Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew
Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew is a VH1 reality television show that documents people being treated for sexual addiction by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. Premiering on November 1, 2009, Sex Rehab is a spin-off of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, in...
, a documentary series about the treatment process for sexual addiction
Sexual addiction
Sexual addiction is a popular model to explain hypersexuality—sexual urges, behaviors, or thoughts that appear extreme in frequency or feel out of one's control...
(filmed in April 2009) at the Pasadena Recovery Center. Peniche described herself as having hundreds of lovers, but being unable to emotionally connect with anyone or have any kind of relationship. Peniche's participation in the treatment program was marred by her aggressive and erratic behavior: verbally abusing the staff and other patients, refusing to participate in group discussions or obey rules, forcefully demanding that the staff fetch her fruit juice and bring it to her bedside, and accusing people of laughing at her when they clearly were not, and smiling uncontrollably even when she was discussing unpleasant topics. Dr. Drew Pinsky, the treating physician, became suspicious that she was using illicit substances such as methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
or had been prior to being admitted, and the staff psychiatrist diagnosed her as having borderline personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder
Borderline personality disorder is a personality disorder described as a prolonged disturbance of personality function in a person , characterized by depth and variability of moods.The disorder typically involves unusual levels of instability in mood; black and white thinking, or splitting; the...
. It was indicated that both conditions require treatment before any treatment can be done for sexual addiction. She was eventually discharged involuntarily for failing to comply with the program's guidelines. Pinsky offered her an alternative program at a psychiatric hospital nearby, but she refused, and during the process of being evicted, she made suicidal gestures
Parasuicide
Parasuicide refers to suicide attempts or gestures and self-harm where there is no result in death. It is a non-fatal act in which a person deliberately causes injury to himself or ingests any prescribed or generally recognised therapeutic dose in excess...
and became abusive toward the staff, throwing a container of water onto a technician, for example.
Later, during production of the third season of Celebrity Rehab, Peniche contacted Pinsky, asking for help. Pinsky explains that her aggressive behavior during Sex Rehab was derived from drugs she smuggled in a teddy bear
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
, and were difficult to detect during drug testing because of the medication Peniche took for attention deficit disorder. Pinsky went to her residence, where Peniche showed him the crystal meth
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
she was using. She was shown returning to the Pasadena Recovery Center at the end of that season's fourth episode. Executive producer John Irwin says her behavior had changed by her second appearance, though she did punch a cameraman at one point. In her second stint at the Pasadena Recovery Center, Peniche again exhibited some problematic behavior, including conflict with the staff and other patients, as well as violations of the facility's rules, though she completed the program.
Peniche joined the cast of Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House
Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House
Celebrity Rehab Presents Sober House, or simply Sober House, is a VH1 reality television show. It is a spin-off of Celebrity Rehab with Dr...
, in which she went to living in a sober living facility, an interim step between rehab and returning to society. In the first episode, she became abusive toward the sober living manager, Jennifer Gimenez, and tested positive for methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
. Peniche revealed during the second episode that she was worried that her Rehab costar, Mindy McCready
Mindy McCready
Melinda Gayle "Mindy" McCready is an American country music singer. Active since 1996, she has recorded a total of five studio albums. Her debut album, 1996's Ten Thousand Angels, was released on BNA Records and was certified 2× Multi-Platinum by the RIAA, while 1997's If I Don't Stay the...
, who moved in with Peniche following Rehab, had access to sensitive materials on Peniche's computer. (It was later reported that the two argued over money and an accusation over a stolen hard drive containing the nude video featuring Peniche, Eric Dane
Eric Dane
Eric Dane is an American actor. After appearing in television roles throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he became known for playing Dr...
, and Rebecca Gayheart
Rebecca Gayheart
-Early life:Gayheart was born in Hazard, Kentucky and raised in Pine Top, Kentucky, the daughter of Floneva , who worked as a Mary Kay independent beauty consultant, and Curtis Gayheart, a miner and coal truck driver. She is of Irish, Italian, and German descent...
.) As Peniche was being filmed returning to her home to address this matter, she punched a cameraman in the eye, and was evicted from the sober living facility. A few days later, Head Counselor Bob Forrest
Bob Forrest
Bob Forrest is the lead vocalist and lyricist for Los Angeles bands Thelonious Monster and The Bicycle Thief. In September 2006 he released his first solo album, Modern Folk And Blues Wednesday. He is also a drug counselor, appearing alongside Dr...
brought Peniche back to the facility to see if the residents would accept her return, but with the exception of resident Tom Sizemore
Tom Sizemore
Thomas Edward "Tom" Sizemore, Jr. is an American film and television actor and producer. He is known for his roles in films such as Saving Private Ryan, Strange Days, Pearl Harbor, Heat and Black Hawk Down....
, the residents declined Peniche's request to return, and she left amid criticism by Heidi Fleiss
Heidi Fleiss
Heidi Lynne Fleiss is an American former madam, and also a columnist and television personality regularly featured in the 1990s in American media. She is often referred to as the "Hollywood Madam"....
.