New York (CNN Business) Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Donald Trump before he was elected President, filed a lawsuit Thursday against Fox News alleging the news organization defamed her.

In the lawsuit, which was filed in a New York state court, McDougal accused host Tucker Carlson of acting with a "reckless disregard for the truth" when he suggested on a December 2018 episode of his show that she extorted Trump.

In a statement provided by a Fox News spokesperson, the network said it would "vigorously defend Tucker Carlson against these meritless claims."

McDougal was paid $150,000 by American Media Inc., the National Enquirer's parent company, for her story of an alleged affair with Trump. Her lawsuit stated that in 2016 she attempted to sell her story to the publication, and that the tabloid eventually purchased it "to prevent its publication."

The practice of purchasing a story to prevent its ultimate release is commonly referred to as "catch and kill." Trump's former attorney, Michael Cohen, testified before Congress that he participated in "several" instances in which the tactic was used to protect Trump's image.

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