Jayne Kennedy Reveals How A Sex Tape Destroyed Her Career
She Made Sports History On CBS. Then A Stolen Sex Tape Scandal Forced Sportcaster Jayne Kennedy Into Silence — Until Now
Trailblazing model and pioneering sports correspondent Jayne Kennedy is stepping back into the spotlight with her new memoir, Plain Jayne, detailing her iconic career more than three decades after a private video with her former husband, actor Leon Isaac Kennedy, was leaked, forcing her into years of silence and public scrutiny.
Kennedy, now 73, made history as the first Black woman crowned Miss Ohio in 1970, and again eight years later when she became a groundbreaking sports correspondent, becoming one of the first female sportscasters on CBS’s The NFL Today, from 1978 to 1980. During that era, she also appeared in films and TV shows such as Body and Soul and Wonder Woman. Her early career included dancing on popular variety shows like Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In in 1971 and The Dean Martin Show from 1972 to 1975. Now, she’s reflecting on her extraordinary career in her new memoir.
RELATED CONTENT: Ellen Holly, 1st Black Leading Daytime Soap Opera Star, Dies At 92
During an interview on The Tamron Hall Show, Sept. 19, Kennedy explained that at the time, she had no idea she was becoming a beacon of representation for Black Americans, breaking barriers and opening doors simply by being visible.
“I didn’t know the impact that I was having in America, because, except for Jet and Ebony, there was no coverage for Blacks. And without social media, you don’t have the opportunity to know, to get feedback,” the icon told Hall. “I was just working. I loved what I did. I was extremely passionate, and I wanted to make sure that I got to the top level, whichever way that I could.”
Kennedy was at the height of her career when a private, intimate video of her and Leon Isaac was leaked in the early ’90s, a deeply personal moment never meant for public eyes. The fallout was devastating: she lost “every contract” she had worked so hard to secure.
“The phones stopped ringing, except to cancel,” Kennedy said, holding back years.
The broadcasting trailblazer told Hall she spent a decade hating herself in the aftermath of the video’s release. Writing Plain Jayne helped her to break free from those years of pain.
“There’s already all this other crap that’s out there that are untruths, that are lies, that are people speculating. And I had become sick of it, and I had to say, finally, these are my words,” Kennedy explained, noting how her daughter helped her through the tough period. “It was 10 years that I hated myself; my daughters saved me. I mean, literally, they saved me. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know where to hide. I didn’t talk to any of my friends for 10 freaking years.”
In a Sept. 2 interview with NPR, Kennedy revealed that it was a family member who stole and released the tape, a betrayal that not only derailed her career but left her emotionally devastated.
“I went through a deep depression. I didn’t want to see anyone, talk to anyone, except for my family.”
She eventually found a minister who helped steer her toward a path of healing and forgiveness.
“I told the pastor, ‘I need to speak with you.’ And I explained to him what happened. And I said, ‘I need to learn how to forgive.’ And he says, ‘Who are you forgiving?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know.’ And six months later, I realized that I needed to forgive myself.”
RELATED CONTENT: Girl Bye! ‘RHOM’ Star Larsa Pippen Calls Tamron Hall An ‘Idiot’ — She ‘Talked So Much Sh–t About Me’
