Karen McCluskey (née Simonds) is a fictional character from the ABC television series Desperate Housewives.
The role was played by Kathryn Joosten, who won the Primetime Emmy Award twice for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series in 2005 and 2008.
[4] She reveals to Robin Gallagher (Julie Benz) that she was a model of corset for Sears Roebuck, which put her through college.
[10] Gilbert neglected to update his pension files, leaving all of his assets to his first wife, to whom he was only married for two years before divorcing her.
She is also one of the first to become aware of Danielle Van de Kamp's relationship with Matthew Applewhite, catching them making out at the county park.
Bree's drinking problems inadvertently improve Karen's relationship with Lynette, as she now frequently babysits the Scavo kids.
Karen emerges as a more prominent and visible character in Season 3, often involved in social roles with members of Wisteria Lane and even forming a friendship with Edie Britt.
It has also been notable that due to the very separate story that Bree has in this season, Karen is often seen gathering with the other three main housewives Lynette Scavo, Gabrielle Solis and Susan Mayer.
In the episode "Liaisons", it is revealed that Karen has her own secret: she has the dead body of her husband, Gilbert, stored in a chest freezer in her basement.
As she explains, she came home from a weekend away and found Gilbert dead, and while preparing to call an undertaker, she checked his pension plan to see he had signed everything off to his first wife.
Karen almost foils Edie's fake suicide plan when she stops Carlos to complain to him about the garbage he left out being late, but notices her at the last minute.
[12] Karen later gives her opinion on new neighbors Bob Hunter and Lee McDermott's water fountain, viewing it as a nuisance.
[13] When a tornado hits Wisteria Lane in "Something's Coming", Karen reluctantly invites the Scavos to take shelter in her house.
Later that night, Mrs. McCluskey and Lynette break into the baseball stadium and spread Ida's ashes around the field, but get caught by the police.
When Edie returns to Fairview with her new husband, Dave Williams (Neal McDonough), Karen welcomes her back and teases her like they used to do.
When they visit, however, Dr. Heller is not there, Dave having killed him in the storage room of the White Horse Club before burning down the building to cover it up, and Roberta tells Karen she cannot help anymore and leaves.
In the following episode, Edie dies in a car accident after she runs into a utility pole trying to avoid Orson Hodge and is electrocuted.
Karen, along with Susan, Gabrielle, Bree and Lynette, is asked by Dave to take her ashes to her son Travers.
Karen, being the closest to Edie, tries to figure out what to do with the ashes when suddenly her front door gently blows open.
Karen and Roberta are caught by the police and taken to the station, where they discover Dave's ex-wife and daughter were killed in the accident that involved Mike and Susan.
Roberta then mentions how creepy it was that Dave changed his name and went to live near the people who were involved with his loved ones' deaths.
Later, Karen visits Katherine at the mental hospital she is staying at, to encourage her to come back to Wisteria Lane.
However, two episodes later in "My Two Young Men" we learn that Karen has already beaten cancer, and Roy throws a party for her, which all the neighbors of Wisteria Lane attend.
She goes on the stand at Bree's murder trial and confesses to killing Alejandro herself, using details she overheard from Gaby and Carlos to convince the jury.