- Born
- Birth nameJayne Harrison
- Height5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- Jayne Kennedy (born Jane Harrison on October 27, 1951 in Washington, D.C.) is an American actress, model and sportscaster.
Jayne was crowned Miss Ohio USA 1970 (she was the first African American woman to win the title), and was one of the 10 semi-finalists in the 1970 Miss USA pageant. It was rare for an African American woman at that time to be in the contest. While starting her modeling career, she met Leon Isaac Kennedy, who was a DJ and a struggling actor/writer. They fell in love and married in 1970. Motown's Smokey Robinson served as best man at the wedding. They moved to California to pursue careers in acting. During the 1970s, she had over 10 notable TV guest appearances, and roles in seven movies. In 1978, she was one of the first women to infiltrate the male-dominated world of sports announcing with a role on The NFL Today.
In the early 1980s, she produced exercise videos; however, she was later diagnosed with Endometriosis. She and Kennedy were divorced in 1982; she married actor Bill Overton in 1985. In spite of the prior problem with endometriosis, they have three daughters, Savannah Re (b. Nov. 20, 1985), Kopper Joi (b. May 17, 1989) and Zaire Ollyea (b. Sept. 15, 1995).
- IMDb mini biography by: T. Allen
- SpousesBill Overton(May 26, 1985 - present) (3 children)Leon Isaac Kennedy(1970 - 1982) (divorced)
- Children
- ParentsHerbert HarrisonVirginia Harrison
- RelativesKingyari(Grandchild)Lisa Harrison(Sibling)Brenda Harrison(Sibling)Shirley Harrison(Sibling)Herb Harrison Jr.(Sibling)Jaris II(Grandchild)Mariah Stackhouse(Cousin)
- Was the first black actress to grace the cover of "Playboy" magazine (July 1981 issue). She appeared in a pictorial (not fully nude) promoting the film "Body and Soul.
- Her face was once insured for $1 million.
- Starred in "The Dorothy Dandridge Story", about singer/actress Dorothy Dandridge, but it was never released. Utimately, the story was produced by HBO and starred another Cleveland native, Halle Berry.
- Was considered for one of the roles on Charlie's Angels (1976), but it never materialized.
- Was considered for her own spin-off series to Wonder Woman (1975) it fell through.
- [on her contract] I wasn't psyched to do it because I had tried so many diets and . . . I felt that no diet works without exercise.
- I didn't feel that I was a good example to my children because I always taught them how important it is to be in shape, and I didn't feel like I was the best that I could be in my marriage.
- [on her diagnosis of endometriosis] Finally my doctor said, "I'm going to have you tested for endometriosis. Don't worry about it, you probably don't have it but let's run the test anyway". We did an ultrasound and he said, "Yup, you have it". That was the first time I heard of endometriosis.
- [In 2001] In the early '80s I had an exercise video called "Love Your Body" with music by The Commodores, which was third in the market after Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons. I had a contract with Coke for Tab and Diet Coke. We did the tie-in with fitness and diet drinks. Everything was going so well. Then, quickly, it got to a point where I couldn't even do a sit-up. The pain was so debilitating.
- [on how she felt about reaching her goal] I feel so much better about myself since I took off the weight, being in shape is so important to feeling good and being healthy . . . Right now I'm feeling good about this diet and, most important, I'm feeling good about myself again.
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