Jayne Kennedy Biography African American actress, model, and sportscaster Jayne Kennedy paved the way for the many women who would follow in her footsteps, successfully breaking down barriers that existed at the time not only for black women, but for all women pursuing certain careers. Jayne Kennedy also holds the less prestigious distinction of being one of the first celebrities to be at the center of a sex tape scandal, one of the reasons why Paris Hilton would become so well-known many years later. Jayne Kennedy was born in Washington, DC on October 27, 1951. She began her career as a beauty pageant contestant, and in 1970 was crowned Miss Ohio USA, making her the first African American woman to win the title. She went on to become one of the ten semi-finalists in the Miss USA pageant, an impressive feat for any woman, but especially for Jayne Kennedy, since black women were rarely seen in the contest at the time.
After moving to California, she garnered a role as a sportscaster in 1978 on The NFL Today, one of the first women to infiltrate the male-dominated profession. The 1980s became a busy decade for Kennedy. She produced exercise videos, had an advertising contract with soft drink tycoon Coca-Cola, and was also working on her expanding modeling career. Ebony and Jet, two African American publications, featured Kennedy on their covers numerous times prior to the 1980s. It was in 1981, however, that Jayne would achieve another first for black women. In July of that year, she was the first African American woman to be featured on the cover of Playboy, the adult men’s magazine founded by Hugh Hefner. The decade also had its low points, most notably when a home sex tape began circulating. Thankfully, computer downloads were still a thing of the future, so circulation was limited. Aside from modeling and sports announcing, Kennedy also has numerous acting credits. Most of these were small roles on 70s and 80s television series like The Six Million Dollar Man, which included Farrah Fawcett and Michael Santiago among its cast; Starsky and Hutch, featuring Paul Michael Glaser, David Soul and Bernie Hamilton; and CHiPs, starring Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox.
Jayne has been married twice. When she first began her modeling career, she met Leon Isaac Kennedy, who was at that time a DJ and aspiring actor and writer. The pair married in 1970, and notable among their wedding party was R&B singer Smokey Robinson, who served as Leon’s best man. The couple was married for twelve years, divorcing in 1982. A short time later, she fell in love with actor Bill Overton, and Jayne walked down the aisle again in 1985. Between 1985 and 1995, Jayne gave birth to three daughters: Savannah Re, Kopper Joi, and Zaire Ollyea. After the birth of her children, Jayne opted to step out of the spotlight during the 1990s and devote her time to her young family. She is also a long time supporter of The Children’s Miracle Network, helping to raise substantial funds for the worthy cause. Let us know of updates to Jayne Kennedy biography at editor@yuddy.com |
