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.^[3] The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with a presence in nearly every medium. Playboy is one of the world's best known brands.^[4] In addition to the flagship magazine in the United States, special nation-specific versions of Playboy are published worldwide.

The magazine has a long history of publishing short stories by notable novelists such as Arthur C. Clarke,^[5] Ian Fleming,^[5] Vladimir Nabokov,^[6] Chuck Palahniuk, P. G. Wodehouse^[5] and Margaret Atwood.^[5] With a regular display of full-page color cartoons, it became a showcase for notable cartoonists, including Jack Cole,^[7] Eldon Dedini,^[8] Jules Feiffer,^[9] Shel Silverstein,^[10] Erich Sokol^[5] and Rowland B. Wilson.^[11]

Playboy features monthly interviews of notable public figures, such as artists, architects, economists, composers, conductors, film directors, journalists, novelists, playwrights, religious figures, politicians, athletes and race car drivers. The magazine generally reflects a liberal editorial stance.^[12]

History[link]

By spring 1953, Hugh Hefner — a 1949 University of Illinois psychology graduate who had worked in Chicago for Esquire magazine writing promotional copy; Publisher's Development Corporation in sales and marketing; and Children's Activities magazine as circulation promotions manager^[13] — had planned out the elements of his own magazine, that he would call Stag Party.^[14] He formed HMH Publishing Corporation, and recruited his friend Eldon Sellers to find investors.^[14] Hefner eventually raised just over $8,000, including from his brother and mother.^[15] However, the publisher of an unrelated men's adventure magazine, Stag, contacted Hefner and informed him it would file suit to protect their trademark if he were to launch his magazine with that name.^[13][16] Hefner, his wife Millie, and Sellers met to seek a new name, considering "Top Hat", "Gentleman", "Sir'", "Satyr", "Pan" and "Bachelor" before Sellers suggested "Playboy".^[16]

The first issue, in December 1953, was undated, as Hefner was unsure there would be a second. He produced it in his Hyde Park kitchen. The first centerfold was Marilyn Monroe, although the picture used originally was taken for a calendar rather than for Playboy. The first issue sold out in weeks. Known circulation was 53,991.^[17] The cover price was 50¢. Copies of the first issue in mint to near mint condition sold for over $5,000 in 2002. The novel Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, was serialized in the March, April and May 1954 issues of Playboy.

The logo, the stylized profile of a rabbit wearing a tuxedo bow tie, was originally designed by art designer Art Paul for the second issue to be used as an endnote, but was adopted as the official logo and has appeared ever since.^[18][19] A running joke in the magazine involves hiding the logo somewhere in the cover art or photograph. Hefner said he chose the rabbit for its "humorous sexual connotation," and because the image was "frisky and playful."

An urban legend started about Hefner and the Playmate of the Month because of markings on the front covers of the magazine. From 1955 to 1979 (except for a six month gap in 1976), the "P" in Playboy had stars printed in or around the letter. The legend stated that this was either a rating that Hefner gave to the Playmate according to how attractive she was, the number of times that Hefner had slept with her, or how good she was in bed. The stars, between zero and 12, actually indicated the domestic or international advertising region for that printing.^[20]

From 1966 to 1976 Robie Macauley was the Fiction Editor at Playboy. During this period the magazine published fiction by Saul Bellow, Sean O'Faolain, John Updike, James Dickey, John Cheever, Doris Lessing, Joyce Carol Oates, Vladimir Nabokov, Michael Crichton, John LeCarre, Irwin Shaw, Jean Shepherd, Arthur Koestler, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Bernard Malamud, John Irving, Anne Sexton, Nadine Gordimer, Kurt Vonnegut and J. P. Donleavy, as well as poetry by Yevgeny Yevtushenko.^[21] Macauley also contributed all of the popular Ribald Classics series published between January 1978 and March 1984.

Since reaching its peak in the 1970s, Playboy has seen a decline in circulation and cultural relevance because of competition in the field it founded — first from Penthouse, Oui (which was published as a spin-off of Playboy) and Gallery in the 1970s; later from pornographic videos; and more recently from lad mags such as Maxim, FHM, and Stuff. In response, Playboy has attempted to re-assert its hold on the 18–35 male demographic through slight changes to content and focusing on issues and personalities more appropriate to its audience — such as hip-hop artists being featured in the "Playboy Interview".

Christie Hefner, daughter of the founder Hugh Hefner, joined Playboy in 1975 and became head of the company in 1988. She announced in December 2008 that she would be stepping down from leading the company, effective in January 2009, and said that the election of Barack Obama as the next President had inspired her to give more time to charitable work, and that the decision to step down was her own. “Just as this country is embracing change in the form of new leadership, I have decided that now is the time to make changes in my own life as well,” she said.^[22]

The magazine celebrated its 50th anniversary with the January 2004 issue. Celebrations were held at Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, and Moscow during the year to commemorate this event.

The magazine runs several annual features and ratings. One of the most popular is its annual ranking of the top "party schools" among all U.S. universities and colleges. For 2009, the magazine used five considerations: bikini, brains, campus, sex and sports in the development of its list. The top ranked party school by Playboy for 2009 was the University of Miami.^[23]

In June 2009, the magazine reduced its publication schedule to 11 issues per year, with a combined July/August issue and on August 11, 2009, London's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that Hugh Hefner had sold his English Manor house (next door to the famous Playboy Mansion) for $18 m ($10 m less than the reported asking price) to a Daren Metropoulos and that due to significant losses in the company's value (down from $1 billion in 2000 to $84 million in 2009) the Playboy publishing empire is up for sale for $300 m.^[24] In December 2009, they further reduced the publication schedule to 10 issues per year, with a combined January/February issue.

On July 12, 2010, Playboy Enterprises Inc. announced Hefner's $5.50 per share offer ($122.5 million based on shares outstanding on April 30 and the closing price on July 9) to buy the portion of the company he does not already own and take the company private with the help of Rizvi Traverse Management LLC. The company derives much of its income from licensing rather than the magazine.^[25] On July 15, Penthouse owner FriendFinder Networks Inc. offered $210 million (the company is valued at $185 million), though Hefner, who already owns 70 percent of voting stock, does not want to sell.^[26] January 10, 2011 The publisher of Playboy magazine has agreed to a sweetened offer by founder Hugh Hefner to take the company private for $6.15, 18 percent premium over the price of the last previous day trading. A tender offer is expected to initial by January 21, 2011 and the deal is expected to close by the end of the first quarter.^{[27][dated info]}

The Playboy Interview[link]

Besides its centerfold, a major part of Playboy for much of its existence has been the Playboy Interview, an extensive (usually several thousand-word) discussion between a notable individual and an interviewer (historian Alex Haley, for example, served as a Playboy interviewer on a few occasions; one of his interviews was with Martin Luther King Jr.; he also interviewed Malcolm X, then coauthored his autobiography). One of the magazine's most notable interviews was a discussion with then-presidential candidate Jimmy Carter in the November 1976 issue in which he stated "I've committed adultery in my heart many times."^[28][29] David Sheff's interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono appeared in the January 1981 issue, which was on newsstands at the time of Lennon's murder; the interview was later published in book format.

Another interview type section, entitled "20Q" (a play on the game of Twenty Questions), was added in October 1978. Cheryl Tiegs was the first interviewee for the section.^[30]

Circulation[link]

The best-selling Playboy edition was the November 1972 edition, which sold 7,161,561 copies. One-quarter of all American college men were buying the magazine every month.^[31] On the cover was model Pam Rawlings, photographed by Rowland Scherman.

Perhaps coincidentally, a cropped image of the issue's centerfold (which featured Lena Söderberg) became a de facto standard image for testing image processing algorithms. It is known simply as the "Lenna" (also "Lena") image in that field.^[32]

In 1970, Playboy became the first gentleman's magazine to be printed in braille.^[33]

[edit] Bans on the sale of Playboy

Many in the American religious community opposed the publication of Playboy. The Louisiana pastor and author L. L. Clover wrote in his 1974 treatise Evil Spirits Intellectualism and Logic that Playboy encouraged young men to view themselves as "pleasure-seeking individuals for whom sex is fun and women are play things." ^[34]

In many parts of Asia, including India, mainland China, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Brunei, sale and distribution of Playboy is banned. In addition, sale and distribution is banned in most Muslim countries (except Lebanon^[35][36] and Turkey) in Asia and Africa, including Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Despite the ban on the magazine in these countries, the official Playboy brand itself can still appear on various merchandise such as perfume and deodorants.

While banned in mainland China, the magazine is sold in Hong Kong. In Japan, where genitals of models cannot be shown, a separate edition is published under license by Shueisha.^{[citation needed]} An Indonesian edition was launched in April 2006, but controversy started before the first issue hit the stands. Though the publisher said the content of the Indonesian edition will be different from the original edition, the government tried to ban it by using anti-pornography rules.^{[citation needed]} A Muslim organization, the Islamic Defenders Front (IDF), opposed Playboy on the grounds of pornography. On April 12, about 150 IDF members clashed with police and stoned the editorial offices. Despite this, the edition quickly sold out. On April 6, 2007 the chief judge of the case dismissed the charges because they had been incorrectly filed.^[37]

In 1986, the American convenience store chain 7-Eleven removed the magazine. The store returned Playboy to its shelves in late 2003. 7-Eleven had also been selling Penthouse and other similar magazines before the ban.^{[citation needed]}

In 1995 Playboy was returned to shelves in Ireland after a 36-year ban, despite staunch opposition from many women's groups.^[38]

In bookstores throughout the world it is common for Playboy, as well as other adult publications, to be wrapped in opaque plastic bags and put on a higher shelf than other magazines, keeping them out of the reach of curious children. Before the late 1980s, Playboy was usually covered with a heavy paper wrapping, similar to paper bags commonly found in grocery stores, with the famous bunny head logo printed in jet black on both sides; however, up to and into the 1970s in the United States, mailed issues using the "plain brown wrapper" did not indicate the Playboy name or logo.^{[citation needed]}

Playboy was not sold in the state of Queensland, Australia during 2004 and 2005 but returned as of 2006. Due to declining sales, the last Australia-wide edition of Playboy was the January 2000 issue.^{[citation needed]}

Litigation[link]

On the January 14, 2004, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that Playboy Enterprises Inc.'s (PEI) trademark terms "Playboy" and "Playmate" should be protected in the situation where a user typing "Playboy" or "Playmate" in a browser search was instead shown advertisements of companies that competed with PEI. (The decision reversed an earlier district court ruling.) The suit started on April 15, 1999, when Playboy sued Excite Inc. and Netscape for trademark infringement.^[39]

Photographers[link]

Many notable photographers have contributed to Playboy, including Ken Marcus,^[40] Richard Fegley,^[41] Arny Freytag,^[42] Ron Harris,^[43] Tom Kelley,^[40] David Mecey,^[44] Russ Meyer,^[45] Pompeo Posar,^[46] Suze Randall,^[47] Herb Ritts,^[48] Stephen Wayda,^[49][50] Sam Wu,^[51] Mario Casilli,^[52] Annie Leibovitz,^[48] Helmut Newton,^[48] and Bunny Yeager.^[53]

Celebrities[link]

For a full listing, please see List of people in Playboy 1953–1959, 1960–1969, 1970–1979, 1980–1989, 1990–1999, 2000–2009, 2010–2019.

Many celebrities (singers, actresses, models, etc.) have posed for Playboy over the years. This list is only a small portion of those who have posed. Some of them are:

International editions[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2007)

This map shows the countries where Playboy is published. The dark pink indicates the countries where regional editions of the magazine are produced today and the lighter pink indicates the countries where regional editions of Playboy were once published.

(starting at the accompanying date, or during the accompanying date range)

Current:

• Argentina (1985–1995, 2006–)
• Austria (2012–)
• Brazil (1975–) — see specific article
• Bulgaria (2002–)
• Colombia (2008–)
• Croatia (1997–)
• Czech Republic (1991–)
• Estonia (2007–)^[55]
• France (1973–)
• Germany (1972–)^[56]
• Greece (1985–)
• Hungary (1989–1993, 1999–)
• Italy (1972–2003, 2008-)^[57]
• Latvia (2010-)^[58]
• Lithuania (2008-)
• Macedonia (2010- )^[59]
• Mexico (1976–1998, 2002–)
• Moldova (2012-) ^[60]
• Netherlands (1983–)
• Philippines (2008-)^[61]
• Poland (1992–)^[62]
• Portugal (2009, 2012–) ^[63]
• Romania (1999–)
• Russia (1995–)
• Serbia (2004–)^[56]
• Slovakia (1997–2002, 2005–)
• Slovenia (2001–)
• South Africa (1993–1996, 2011–)^[62]
• Spain (1978–)
• Thailand (2012–)
• Ukraine (2005–)
• United States (1953–)
• Venezuela (2006–)

Former:

• Australia (1979–2000) — see specific article
• Georgia (country) (2007–2009)^[64]
• Hong Kong (1986–1993)
• Indonesia (2006–2007)^[56]
• Japan (1975–) — see specific article
• Norway (1998–1999)
• Singapore
• Sweden (1998–1999)
• Taiwan (1990–2003)
• Turkey (1986–1995)

Other editions[link]

The success of Playboy magazine has led PEI to market other versions of the magazine, the Special Editions (formerly called News Stand Specials), such as Playboy's College Girls^[65] and Playboy's Book of Lingerie, as well as the Playboy video collection.

The growth of the Internet prompted the magazine to develop an official web presence called Playboy Online or Playboy.com, which is the official website for Playboy Enterprises, and an online companion to Playboy magazine. The site has been available online since 1994.^[66] As part of the online presence, Playboy developed a pay web site called the Playboy Cyber Club in 1995 which features online chats, additional pictorials, videos of Playmates and Playboy Cyber Girls that are not featured in the magazine. Archives of past Playboy articles and interviews are also included. In September 2005, Playboy launched the online edition of the magazine Playboy Digital.

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) has published a Braille edition of Playboy since 1970.^[67] The Braille version includes all the written words in the non-Braille magazine, but no pictorial representations. Congress cut off funding for the Braille magazine translation in 1985, but U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Hogan reversed the decision on First Amendment grounds.^[68]

In 2010 Playboy introduced "The Smoking Jacket", a safe-for-work website designed to appeal to young men, while avoiding nude images or key words that would cause the site to be filtered or otherwise prohibited in the workplace.^[69]

In May 2011 Playboy introduced i.playboy.com, a complete, uncensored version of its near 700 issue archive, targeting the Apple iPad. By launching the archive as a web app, Playboy was able to circumvent both Apple's App Store content restrictions and their 30% subscription fee.

See also[link]

Books[link]

General compilations

• Nick Stone, editor. The Bedside Playboy. Chicago: Playboy Press, 1963.

Anniversary collections

• Jacob Dodd, editor. The Playboy Book: Forty Years. Santa Monica, California: General Publishing Group, 1994, ISBN 1-881649-03-2
• Playboy: 50 Years, The Photographs. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2003, ISBN 0-8118-3978-8
• Nick Stone, editor; Michelle Urry, cartoon editor. Playboy: 50 Years, The Cartoons. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2004. ISBN 0-8118-3976-1
• Gretchen Edgren, editor. The Playboy Book: Fifty Years. Taschen, 1995. ISBN 3-8228-3976-0

Interview compilations

• G. Barry Golson, editor. The Playboy Interview. New York: Playboy Press, 1981. ISBN 0-87223-668-4 (hardcover), ISBN 0-87223-644-7 (softcover)
• G. Barry Golson, editor. The Playboy Interview Volume II. New York: Wideview/Perigee, 1983. ISBN 0-399-50768-X (hardcover), ISBN 0-399-50769-8 (softcover)
• David Sheff, interviewer; G. Barry Golson, editor. The Playboy Interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. New York: Playboy Press, 1981, ISBN 0-87223-705-2; 2000 edition, ISBN 0-312-25464-4
• Stephen Randall, editor. "The Playboy Interview Book: They Played the Game". New York: M Press, 2006, ISBN 1-59582-046-9

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Playboy magazine

Official

• Playboy.com
• Playboy Enterprises Inc. (Corporate website)
• Playboy UK

Others

• Playboy Covers of the World — Thousands of Playboy covers from all past and present editions worldwide.
• Crossett, Andrew, "Index: The Women of Playboy – 1967 – 2007", 2007.
• Playmate database at the University of Chicago
• A full listing of the Playboy Interview subjects and their interviewers
• Josh Lambert, "My Son, the Pornographer: Jewish Editors at Playboy."

v t e Playboy Enterprises Key people Christie Hefner (former Chairman and CEO) · Hugh Hefner (Editor-in-Chief, CCO and Founder) Business groups Playboy Publishing Playboy Magazine · Playboy Special Edition Playboy Entertainment Playboy TV · My Ex-Girlfriends · Playboy Radio · Spice Networks · Playboy Online · Playboy Cyber Club · ClubJenna · Indigo Entertainment Playboy Licensing   Miscellaneous Playboy Clubs · Playboy Mansion · Victor Lownes · The Playboy Club (TV series) Annual Revenue: $215 million USD (FY 2010) · Employees: 547 (full time) · Stock Symbol: NYSE: PLA, PLAA · Website: PlayboyEnterprises.com

Torrie Wilson
Wilson at the Big Apple Convention in Manhattan, October 1, 2010.
Ring name(s)	Samantha[1] Torrie Wilson
Billed height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[2]
Billed weight	133 lb (60 kg)[3][4]
Born	(1975-07-24) July 24, 1975 (age 36)[5] Boise, Idaho[5]
Resides	Los Angeles, California
Billed from	Boise, Idaho[2]
Trained by	Dave Finlay[6] Johnny Ace[6] Billy Kidman[6] Madusa[1]
Debut	February 8, 1999
Retired	May 8, 2008

Torrie Anne Wilson (born July 24, 1975) is a retired American professional wrestler, fitness competitor and model. She is best known for her tenures in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where she worked on both their SmackDown and Raw brands throughout her eight-year run.

As a fitness competitor, Wilson won the Miss Galaxy competition in 1998.^[5][7] Shortly after, she was signed by World Championship Wrestling, where she stayed from 1999 until 2001.^[1][6][7] In 2001, she began appearing on World Wrestling Federation (WWF) television as part of The Invasion storyline.^[3] Her most high profile storyline took place in 2003 when she feuded with Dawn Marie.^[3][8] Wilson has also been a part of the all-female stable, or group of affiliated wrestlers, known as Vince's Devils, which ended its run in 2006.

Aside from wrestling, Wilson has been on the cover of several magazines, including FHM and Playboy, which she posed for twice.^[4][7][8]

Early life[link]

Wilson was born in Boise, Idaho.^[5] She claims that while growing up she was painfully shy as a child.^[7][8][9] Wilson found her niche in many school activities, including cheerleading, dance, and was very competitive in track and field.^[5][7]

During her sophomore year of high school, after Wilson's interest in modeling grew more serious, her mother urged her to pursue it.^[5] They visited an agency and were informed that Wilson would have to lose weight to be considered for jobs.^[5] In the process of losing weight, she began a bout with anorexia nervosa and then bulimia that lasted from ages 14-to-20.^[5][7]

After recovering from the disorder, Wilson became involved in fitness.^[5][6] She began eating six meals a day and working out.^[7] She placed third in her first competition,^[5] and she later won the Miss Galaxy competition in 1998.^[5][7] She then spent some time on the Extreme Fitness Team.^[10] As part of the Women's Tri-Fitness Championships in 1998, Wilson won first place in the Grace and Physique round.^[11]

Later in 1998, Wilson moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting.^[5][8] She began acting classes and was introduced to an agent who helped her gain a few jobs.^[5]

Professional wrestling career[link]

World Championship Wrestling (1999–2000)[link]

Wilson's start in wrestling came when she attended a World Championship Wrestling (WCW) show with her boyfriend in 1999.^[6][7][8] After going backstage, she was asked to walk out to the ring with Scott Steiner.^[6] Later, Kevin Nash expressed an interest in doing a storyline with her.^[3][6][8] She debuted as "Samantha", who was brought in by the New World Order (nWo) to seduce David Flair into turning against his father, Ric Flair.^[3][12] They appeared together on February 21 when Wilson slapped Ric, and David zapped him with a taser.^[13] At the 1999 Bash at the Beach, Wilson acted as a valet for Flair as he captured the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship from Dean Malenko.^[3]

Although she left WCW television afterwards, she returned in the fall of 1999 under her real name.^[3] Wilson began managing Billy Kidman and his Filthy Animals teammates.^[3] As a result, she found herself involved in the Animals continuing feud with The Revolution.^[3] In November, Wilson and Eddie Guerrero were shown flirting on the "Kidcam", a hidden camera segment, which led to a storyline feud between Kidman and Guerrero.^[3] Following this, Wilson once again disappeared from television. Wilson, however, returned on January 19, 2000, and in April 2000, Kidman and Wilson joined a stable known as the New Blood, making them both villainous characters. As part of their newest storyline, Kidman became jealous of the attention Wilson began to give to fellow New Blood member Horace Hogan. In June, Wilson gave Kidman a hit at the Great American Bash, causing him to lose to Horace's uncle, Hulk Hogan.^[3]

Wilson was taken off of television following the encounter, reappearing at July's Bash at the Beach during a match between Shane Douglas and Buff Bagwell. After the match, Wilson and Douglas left together, which led to a feud between Kidman and Douglas.^[14] At September's Fall Brawl, Wilson and Douglas defeated Kidman and Madusa in a mixed tag team match with scaffolding erected above the ring.^[1] Wilson was released from WCW in December 2000.^[1]

World Wrestling Entertainment (2001–2008)[link]

The Invasion (2001)[link]

Wilson made her television debut on the June 28, 2001 episode of SmackDown! as part of The Alliance during the Invasion angle in 2001.^[3] In her first storyline with the company, she portrayed Vince McMahon's latest affair.^[15] She also regularly teamed with fellow WCW performer Stacy Keibler. The duo made their wrestling debuts in a Bra and Panties match against Lita and Trish Stratus at the InVasion pay-per-view, which Stratus and Lita won by stripping their opponents to their underwear. The following night on Raw, Wilson defeated Stratus in a Paddle on a Pole match.^[1] Despite her relative lack of in-ring experience, Wilson, alongside Keibler and Ivory, regularly feuded with the Divas,^[16] as well as interfering in matches on behalf of other wrestlers in The Alliance.

She became a fan favorite during the Invasion storyline when her character began an on-screen romance with Tajiri.^[3] This new romance caused Keibler to turn against Wilson, and as a result of this, Wilson defected to the company. Wilson defeated Keibler in a lingerie match at No Mercy defeating her opponent while dressed in lingerie.^[1]

Relationship and feud with Tajiri; feud with Dawn Marie (2002–2003)[link]

When the first ever brand separation of the company roster took place in April 2002, Wilson was drafted to SmackDown!.^[17] Shortly after this, as part of the storyline, Tajiri soon became jealous over the increased attention that Wilson received from other men, so he forced her to wear a geisha outfit,^[3][18] and he also appeared to mistreat her in matches. Wilson finally grew tired of this, and during Tajiri's match against The Hurricane, she got on top of the announcer's table and stripped off her clothing. The distraction allowed The Hurricane to pick up the win.^[19] At Rebellion 2002, Torrie and her real life boyfriend at the time Billy Kidman defeated John Cena and Dawn Marie in an intergender tag team match. After the match Torrie and Kidman kissed.

Wilson's most high profile storyline during her first few years with the company was in 2002/3 when she feuded with Dawn Marie.^[3][8] In the angle, Dawn Marie attempted to marry Wilson's real-life father Al Wilson.^[6][8][20] Dawn also revealed that she had developed feelings for Torrie, and the two shared an on-screen kiss.^[6][21] Dawn even offered to cancel the wedding if Torrie would go to a hotel with her for the night.^[3] Despite this, as part of the storyline, Dawn developed feelings for Al and the two got married on an episode of SmackDown! in their underwear.^[21] Al then, in storyline, died from a heart attack after having rigorous sex numerous times in succession on their honeymoon.^{[3][21][22][23]} In response, Wilson defeated Dawn at No Mercy in October.^[24] She defeated Dawn Marie again at the Royal Rumble in what was billed as a Stepmother vs. Stepdaughter match.^[3][23] The feud lasted approximately nine months.^[8]

Playboy (2003–2004)[link]

Wilson in 2004

In May 2003, Wilson appeared in a pictorial and on the cover of Playboy magazine.^[3] A few months earlier, when her pictorial was announced, a short storyline feud with Nidia developed, with the latter being jealous of the fact that Wilson was chosen for the cover and spread in the magazine.^[25] In weekly vignettes aired on SmackDown!, both Nidia and her on-screen boyfriend Jamie Noble made trips to The Playboy Mansion to complain to Hugh Hefner over his choice.^[25]

Soon after, on an April 2003 episode of SmackDown! during a segment labeled as Torrie's Playboy Coming Out Party former Diva and Playboy covergirl Sable made her return to WWE after a four year absence.^[3] This began a storyline between the two women where for weeks, Sable played mind games with Wilson, being friendly one moment and unfriendly the next.^[26] This all led up to a bikini contest between the two at Judgment Day, which Wilson won.^[27] After the contest, Wilson kissed the former Women's Champion Sable on the lips, showing her that there was "no hard feelings" due to Wilson's win over the WWE veteran.^[28] Torrie then got her first WWE Women's Championship match on Smackdown! after Women's Champion Molly Holly invaded the show interrupting Torrie's photoshoot and challenging her to a match in which Torrie was unsuccessful in winninng.

Continuing her feud with Noble and Nidia from earlier in the year, Wilson managed Billy Gunn upon his WWE return in the summer of 2003.^[3] The feud came to an end after Nidia and Noble both became fan favorites and sided with Gunn and Wilson. After the formation of this alliance, Wilson, Nidia, and Dawn Marie feuded with Shaniqua for a short period of time, which led to Shaniqua physically dominating Wilson and Nidia in a handicap match.^[1]

Wilson teamed with Sable in March 2004 to feud with Raw Divas Stacy Keibler and Miss Jackie.^[3] The feud's storyline centered on the latter duo's jealously of Wilson and Sable as Playboy cover girls, as well as their recently being named cover girls yet again, as the two Divas were announced to be featured together in an upcoming Playboy March 2004 issue.^[3] After weeks of rivalry, Wilson and Sable defeated Keibler and Miss Jackie in a Playboy Evening Gown match at WrestleMania XX by stripping their opponents of their evening gowns.^[3][29] Later in the year, Wilson engaged in a short feud with Sable, who defeated her at the Great American Bash.^[3]

In November 2004, Wilson began feuding with Hiroko.^[3] On February 10, 2005 on a special edition of SmackDown! (recorded on February 4 in Saitama, Japan), Torrie defeated Hiroko in a kimono match by removing her kimono first.^[30]

Torrie was then involved in a short-lived feud with MNM valet Melina Perez. The two had a bra and panties match at The Great American Bash, with Candice Michelle as the special guest referee. Perez defeated Wilson in that match as well as a rematch later that week on Smackdown!, with the help of Jillian Hall.

Raw and Vince's Devils (2005–2006)[link]

Wilson sometimes appeared as a ring announcer on WWE SmackDown! replacing regular announcer Tony Chimel

It was revealed on August 21, 2005 that Wilson and Candice Michelle had been moved to the Raw brand.^[31] Wilson then became a villain by attacking Ashley Massaro.^[3] Her and Candice's storyline feud with Massaro continued over the next couple weeks, as the duo, along with their enforcer Victoria (dubbed as the "Skankateers" by commentator Jim Ross), made things difficult for Massaro.^[3] Massaro evened the score on the September 12, 2005 edition of Raw when she brought out the returning Trish Stratus, and the duo proceeded to attack the villains.^[32] This led to a tag match at Unforgiven, where the team of Stratus and Massaro defeated Wilson and Victoria.^[33] The feud continued into WWE Homecoming, where Stratus and Massaro defeated Wilson, Candice, and Victoria in the first ever three on two Bra and Panties match by stripping all three of their opponents.^[34]

Wilson was absent from WWE television for quite some time after this, leading to rumors and false reports that she had been released from WWE.^[35][36] In actuality, she had taken a leave of absence to tend to some "personal issues".^[35] Wilson was surprised by the rumors after some media personnel offered to help her find work.^[35] WWE issued a statement on their website, in which Wilson also commented, denouncing the rumors.^[35] In the statement she joked she had to "call the WWE office and ask them if they forgot to fire me".^[35]

On November 28, Wilson made her return to Raw, where she, Candice and Victoria faced off against the team of Stratus, Massaro, and their new ally Mickie James.^[37] Vince's Devils was a short-lived alliance. Wilson soon became a fan favorite after Candice and Victoria both turned against her. The storyline feud between Candice and Wilson led to a match where Wilson faced Playboy's newest cover girl, Candice, at WrestleMania 22 in a Playboy Pillow Fight.^[3][38] Wilson won the match,^[3] but the feud still continued on-and-off for some time. On the June 12, 2006 edition of Raw, Wilson defeated Candice in the first ever "Wet and Wild match", a wrestling match involving water balloons and squirt guns, in which the winner of the match would be on the cover of the WWE 2006 Summer Special magazine.^[4]

Various storylines and departure (2006–2008)[link]

Wilson and Carlito were an on-screen couple for much of 2006 and 2007.

Wilson also made a special appearance on WWE's ECW brand on August 22, 2006 representing Raw in a bikini contest against ECW Diva Kelly Kelly.^[39] A winner was not decided, however, and a six-person mixed tag match began pitting Wilson, Tommy Dreamer, and The Sandman against the team of Kelly Kelly, Mike Knox, and Test. Wilson's team was victorious.^[4][39]

In the final months of 2006, Wilson entered into an on-screen relationship with Carlito. During this time, Ric Flair took an interest in Carlito, and Wilson accompanied the duo in a series of tag matches. In May 2007, however, Carlito turned against Flair and dumped Wilson when he became a heel.^[40] The storyline came to a halt when on the June 11 edition of Raw, Wilson was drafted from Raw to SmackDown! as part of the 2007 WWE Draft.^[41]

On the September 28 edition of SmackDown!, she was attacked in the ring by the debuting Krissy Vaine,^[42] but the feud was prematurely dropped when Vaine left the company.^[43] On the October 16 edition of SmackDown!, Torrie teamed up with Mickie James in a losing effort to Beth Phoenix and Victoria. She was on Mickie's team at Survivor Series, which was victorious over Beth Phoenix's. Torrie's last appearance was on the October 23 edition of SmackDown!, defeating long-time rival Victoria. In November, Wilson took time off from wrestling to undergo physical therapy in relation to a previous back injury.^[44] On May 8, 2008, Wilson was released from her WWE contract.^[45]

Return to WWE (2009)[link]

In April 2009 Wilson returned to the WWE for one night at WrestleMania XXV as a part of the 25 Diva Battle Royal representing the past WWE Divas, in which she was eliminated by Beth Phoenix.

Other media[link]

Aside from Playboy, Wilson has also graced the cover of several other magazines, including the September 2006 cover of FHM magazine.^[4][9][46]

Wilson was also number forty-three on FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World list in 2007.^[47] She has also been on AskMen.com's list of the Most Desirable Women in the World twice: she was number twenty-two in 2006 and number sixty-five in 2007.^[4][36]

Wilson, along with several other Divas, filmed Timbaland's music video "Throw It On Me" in April 2007.^[48] Also in 2007, Wilson made a special appearance, along with Mick Foley, at the Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai.^[49] She appeared on the February 6, 2008 episode of Project Runway where the contestants designed wrestling attire for several of the Divas.^[50]

In April 2009, Wilson signed on to appear in the NBC reality show, I'm a Celebrity…Get Me out of Here!, which premiered in June.^[51] On the show's season finale, Wilson was named the runner-up to winner Lou Diamond Phillips.^{[citation needed]}

In December 2011, Wilson along with Candice Michelle filmed Lilian Garcia's music video "U Drive Me Loca".^[52]

Personal life[link]

Wilson in 2006

Wilson admits not having watched wrestling when she was younger,^[6][9][12] but says that since becoming involved in the industry, she has become a fan of Hulk Hogan.^[9]

While working for WWE, Wilson was on the road for up to 300 days per year.^[12] She has a Maltese named Chloe, who traveled with her.^[12] While on the road, Wilson worked out at least four days a week.^[8] Usually, her workout consisted of an hour of cardiovascular workouts and a half-hour of lifting weights.^[8]

Wilson also has a close friendship with Stacy Keibler.^[7][8] At one point, they were roommates in Los Angeles, California.^[8]

After being together for four years,^[8] Wilson married Peter Gruner (known on-screen as Billy Kidman) on July 11, 2003.^[3] They lived together in Tampa, Florida, when not traveling.^[6][7] The couple were officially divorced in 2008.^[53]

In September 2007, Wilson opened her official clothing line "Officially Jaded", alongside Nick Mitchell, a former WWE wrestler who was known as "Mitch" of the Spirit Squad. The couple began dating in mid-2006.^[54] She opened a store in The Woodlands, Texas, at the upscale Market Street district.^[55] On September 14, 2008, Torrie made an appearance at the inaugural Wrestler's Rescue event held in Piscataway, New Jersey, an event to create awareness and to help raise money to support the health care needs of retired professional wrestlers.^[56]

Since December 2011, Wilson has been romantically linked to New York Yankees superstar third baseman Alex Rodriguez. ^[57]

In wrestling[link]

• Finishing moves
  • Nose Job (Sitout facebuster)^[1] – 2005–2008
  • Torrie-nado DDT (Running or diving tornado DDT)^[1] – 2002–2004
  • Running or standing swinging neckbreaker^[1] – 2002–2004, signature 2005-2007