Jenny McCarthy net worth is estimated to be around $25 million as of 2024. Jenny McCarthy is an American actress, model, and TV personality born on November 1, 1972. She started as a nude model for Playboy in 1993 and later became Playmate of the Year. McCarthy moved into television as a co-host on MTV’s “Singled Out” from 1995 to 1997 and starred in her sitcom “Jenny” from 1997 to 1998. Her film career includes roles in “BASEketball,” “Scream 3,” “Dirty Love,” “John Tucker Must Die,” and “Santa Baby.”
In 2013, McCarthy hosted “The Jenny McCarthy Show” and joined ABC’s “The View” as a co-host until 2014. Since 2019, she has been a judge on Fox’s “The Masked Singer.”
McCarthy is also an author on parenting and has been involved in promoting research on environmental causes and alternative medical treatments for autism. She has expressed controversial views including the claim that vaccines cause autism a notion widely discredited by scientific research. McCarthy has advocated for treatments like chelation therapy despite its lack of scientific backing. Her promotion of these ideas has been criticized as dangerous and uninformed. Some journalists have labeled her as a prominent figure in the anti-vaccine movement although she prefers the term “pro-safe-vaccine-schedule.”
Jenny McCarthy in Brief
| Full Name | Jenny McCarthy |
| Date of Birth | November 1, 1972 |
| Place of Birth | Evergreen Park, Illinois, USA |
| Occupation | Actress, Model, Author, Activist |
| Height | 5 feet 6 inches (1.70 m) |
| Spouse | Donnie Wahlberg (m. 2014) John Asher (m. 1999–2005) |
| Children | Evan Joseph Asher |
| Net Worth | $25 million |
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What is Jenny McCarthy Net Worth in 2024?
Jenny McCarthy is an American actress, model, and TV personality with a net worth of $25 million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Jenny McCarthy’s net worth comes from her entertainment career, where she has been a model, actress, and television personality.
She gained initial fame as a Playboy model in the 1990s and later transitioned to television, hosting shows like MTV’s “Singled Out” and becoming a frequent guest on various talk shows. McCarthy also acted in movies and TV series, which contributed to her earnings.
Additionally, she has authored several books, including bestsellers, and has been involved in endorsement deals and public speaking engagements. McCarthy’s overall wealth is largely derived from her diverse roles in the media and entertainment industries over the years.
Jenny McCarthy’s Early Life and Education
Jenny McCarthy was born on November 1, 1972, at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park a southwest suburb of Chicago Illinois. She grew up in a working-class Catholic family with German Irish and Polish roots. Jenny lives in the West Elsdon neighborhood of Chicago and is the second of four sisters: Lynette Joanne and Amy. Actress Melissa McCarthy is her cousin.
Her parents Dan and Linda McCarthy raised their kids in Orland Park and encouraged them to be active in sports. Lynette ran track Jenny played softball and Amy and Joanne chose basketball. The sisters also did gymnastics and bowling when they were young. Linda was a housewife and courtroom custodian while Dan worked as a steel mill foreman.
Jenny attended Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School and was a cheerleader at Brother Rice High School and St. Laurence High School. Despite this, she described herself as an “outcast” and was often bullied by her classmates. After high school, she spent two years at Southern Illinois University.
Jenny McCarthy’s Career
Modeling
In 1993, Jenny McCarthy accepted $20000 from Playboy to pose for their October issue becoming the Playmate of the Month. Hugh Hefner Playboy’s publisher chose her for her “wholesome Catholic girl” image from over 10000 applicants. Her photo shoot had a schoolgirl theme reflecting her Catholic background. This decision stirred controversy in her Catholic community leading to her house being egged and her family facing backlash. McCarthy who had Catholic nuns as aunts was also criticized by those close to her. She later became the Playmate of the Year earning $100000.
Due to her rising fame, McCarthy moved to Los Angeles in 1994 and briefly hosted “Hot Rocks” a Playboy TV show with uncensored music videos. In 1995, she co-hosted MTV’s new dating show “Singled Out” leaving “Hot Rocks.” Her success on MTV led to more modeling opportunities with Playboy. She also appeared at WrestleMania XI supporting the wrestler Diesel.
Acting
McCarthy’s acting career took off with a small role in “The Stupids” in 1996. In 1997, she launched her own MTV sketch comedy show “The Jenny McCarthy Show” which led to an NBC sitcom “Jenny.” She also graced one of Playboy’s September 1997 covers and released her autobiography “Jen-X: Jenny McCarthy’s Open Book.”
In 1998, Jenny McCarthy starred in “BASEketball” and in “Diamonds” the following year. She appeared in “Scream 3” in 2000 and spoofed her role in “Scary Movie 3” in 2003. In 2005, she produced, wrote, and starred in “Dirty Love” which earned several Razzie Awards including Worst Actress and Worst Screenplay.
Jenny McCarthy guest-starred on various TV shows such as “The Drew Carey Show” and “Two and a Half Men.” She voiced a character in “Tripping the Rift” and hosted E!’s “Party at the Palms” in 2005. She continued to collaborate with Playboy appearing on the cover of their January 2005 issue and photographing for their Cyber Club.
In 2007, McCarthy starred in “In the Motherhood” an online series about motherhood. She appeared in video games including “Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3” and “Your Shape Featuring Jenny McCarthy.” Starting in 2010 she became a correspondent for “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”
McCarthy hosted season 2 of NBC’s “Love in the Wild” in 2012 and appeared on Playboy’s cover again in 2012. She starred in commercials for Blu electronic cigarettes in 2013. In July 2013, McCarthy joined ABC’s “The View” replacing Elisabeth Hasselbeck. She debuted on September 9, 2013, but left the show in June 2014 amid rumors of contract non-renewal which she denied.
In October 2014, Jenny McCarthy began hosting “Dirty Sexy Funny with Jenny McCarthy” on SiriusXM later renamed “The Jenny McCarthy Show” in 2016. Since January 2, 2019, she has been a panelist on the hit show “The Masked Singer.”
Jenny McCarthy’s Personal Life
Jenny McCarthy had relationships with several notable figures over the years. She dated Ray Manzella her manager from 1994 to 1998. Later in 1998, she started dating John Mallory Asher. They got engaged in January 1999 and married on September 11 of the same year. They have a son named Evan born in May 2002. Evan was diagnosed with autism in May 2005. Unfortunately, McCarthy and Asher divorced in September 2005.
After her divorce, McCarthy began dating actor Jim Carrey in December 2005 though they didn’t go public until June 2006. McCarthy shared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in April 2008 that she and Carrey were living together but didn’t plan to marry. In a playful gesture tied to a movie promotion, Carrey pretended to propose to McCarthy on Ellen’s Twelve Days of Christmas. In April 2010, McCarthy and Carrey announced their breakup.
Moving forward, Jenny McCarthy started dating Donnie Wahlberg a singer and actor known for his roles in “New Kids on the Block” and “Blue Bloods” in July 2013. She announced their engagement on “The View” on April 16, 2014, and they married on August 31, 2014.
Jenny McCarthy’s Activism
In May 2007, Jenny McCarthy announced that her son Evan was diagnosed with autism in 2005. She described him as gifted referring to him as a “crystal child” and herself as an “indigo mom.” In a 2014 article, she mentioned that Evan then 12 years old was doing well despite not meeting the criteria for autism anymore. However, he faced challenges like seizures and some brain damage from them. Although he no longer qualified for services he still had issues at school.
McCarthy was actively involved with Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) from 2007 to 2008 participating in fundraisers and online chats to support families dealing with autism spectrum disorders. She also worked closely with Generation Rescue serving on its board since January 2011.
She wrote a book in 2007 called “Louder than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism” where she discussed her struggles including her divorce due to her husband’s inability to cope with Evan’s autism. McCarthy has been vocal about her belief that vaccines may trigger autism appearing on shows like “Larry King Live” and discussing alternative therapies like dietary changes and chelation therapy for her son. However, these views have been widely criticized by medical experts for lacking scientific basis.
Her stance on vaccines earned her the James Randi Educational Foundation’s Pigasus Award in 2008 for promoting pseudoscience. Despite controversies, McCarthy has insisted she is not against vaccines but advocates for informed decision-making and caution regarding their administration.
Critics including journalist Brian Deer have heavily scrutinized her claims, particularly in light of debunked research linking vaccines to autism. Her influence on public opinion has been questioned with experts warning about the dangers of misinformation on health issues like vaccination.
