Nichole Van Croft was a former Playboy model who was best known for being the Playmate of the Month in October 2000. She was also the first lesbian centerfold in the magazine’s history. She died on April 20, 2018 at the age of 44 in Bardstown, Kentucky. But what was the cause of her death and what led to her tragic demise?
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A Conservative Christian Background
Nichole Van Croft was born on November 5, 1973 in Jacksonville, Florida. She came from a conservative Christian background and was an only child. She was a tomboy as a kid and played varsity volleyball and basketball in high school. She also broke her collarbone once while playing football.
She attended Arizona State University as a psychology major for a year, but dropped out to pursue a career in modeling. She was discovered by a Playboy photographer eating pizza with her girlfriends after a night out in South Beach, Florida.
A Successful Playboy Career
Nichole Van Croft became the Playmate of the Month in October 2000 and appeared in several Playboy videos. She was also featured in other magazines such as Maxim, FHM, and Stuff. She came out as the first lesbian centerfold in 2003, despite later marrying two men.
She also won $1.2 million after suing the NYPD for a 2006 incident where she was allegedly assaulted by a police officer who claimed that she had pulled a gun on him. She said that the officer threw her to the ground and injured her neck.
She married an investment banker in 2007, but they divorced shortly after. She then married Charles Nicolai, a chiropractor who owned Wall Street Chiropractic & Wellness. They had a son named Vincent, who was born in 2011.
A Bitter Custody Battle
Nichole Van Croft and Charles Nicolai separated in 2016 and were involved in a bitter custody battle over their son. They had to meet at a police station in Tribeca to exchange their son, to avoid any violence between them.
Nicolai’s lawyer had recently told Van Croft that she had to hand over Vincent’s passport, which she refused to do. She also accused Nicolai of being abusive and controlling, and claimed that he had hired a private investigator to spy on her.
A Mysterious Death
On April 20, 2018, Nichole Van Croft was found dead in her home in Bardstown, Kentucky. The cause of death was ruled as homicide by strangulation, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. The police did not reveal any suspects or motives for the killing.
Her son Vincent was not with her at the time of her death. He was staying with his father in New York City. Nicolai expressed his shock and grief over his ex-wife’s murder and said that he had no idea who would want to harm her.
Nichole Van Croft’s death remains unsolved and is still under investigation by the authorities. Her family and friends have mourned her loss and remembered her as a beautiful, smart, and loving person who adored her son.
