Plain Jayne - by Jayne Kennedy (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From award-winning actress and sports broadcaster Jayne Kennedy comes a compelling, inspirational, and unflinchingly honest memoir about her rise in Hollywood and beyond.

Jayne Kennedy is one of the most photographed, glamorous, and intriguing women ever to set foot in Hollywood. Perhaps best known for her groundbreaking work in 1978-1980 on the Emmy Award-winning CBS program The NFL Today, she's an icon and trailblazer in every sense of the word. From becoming the first Black woman to win Miss Ohio USA, to being the only woman to host the long-running syndicated television show Greatest Sports Legends, and pioneering the fitness industry with her bestselling Love Your Body exercise videos and fitness programs, nobody has had a career trajectory quite like Jayne. And she has never gone on the record about her personal experiences and the resulting joys and scars--until now.

Her candid and conversational storytelling will endear her once again to her existing fans as well as open her up to a new audience that will admire her message of resilience and empowerment. Jayne has long been a beacon of Black and female excellence and has opened doors for female talent and media executives. Inducted into the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in their Television and the Media Landscape exhibit, Jayne is indeed a pioneer. Tracing her upbringing in Ohio and her journey shattering glass ceilings in American contemporary culture, Plain Jayne is a breathtaking story of endurance, survival, and achievement.

Review Quotes

"A woman like no other finally shares her true journey. Jayne had no script to follow on the road to becoming one of the most recognizable women in entertainment. A true multi-hyphenate, Jayne broke down seemingly impenetrable walls in daytime TV, late night, sports, variety shows, and even movies. Jayne was the girl next door America didn't know it wanted, but she did! Jayne's legacy lives and her words serve a timeless, empowering message to all women. Beautiful and brilliant!"
--Tamron Hall

"Jayne Kennedy is an icon. Her willingness to candidly share her struggles and triumphs is an inspiring reminder of the value of resilience and integrity. For those of us women who chose to pursue a career in sports, we are indebted to Jayne for fighting important battles that made our paths a little less rocky."
--Jemele Hill, author and sports journalist

"The courage it must have taken for Jayne to commit to paper this unflinchingly candid recollection of her private life and professional career is both inspiring and empowering. I am in awe of her resiliency and how she's overcome crippling obstacles. Despite having to navigate the landmines of Hollywood 'isms' and dodge the bricks of betrayal being lobbed at her personal life--including a very public scandal--she emerges triumphant as a history-maker and way maker. This book demonstrates how Jayne cleared a path for every African American female entertainer and entrepreneur who has come after her. She shows us all that even with clipped wings, Black Swans can soar!"
--Sherri Shepherd

"Despite the title of this moving memoir, there was nothing plain about Jayne. Not only was she young, beautiful and talented, but had humor and a real connection to the audience. I hope that all producers have a Jayne Kennedy in their résumé. . . . I'm sure glad she's in mine."
--George Schlatter, Creator of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

"When Jayne Kennedy joined The NFL Today, she was among the trailblazers for women and people of color who covered sports. The pressure and the often-cruel backlash Kennedy faced are part of the life story of a woman who has a hard-earned place in the history of sports television."
--Bob Costas

"Jayne Kennedy is not who you thought she was, if you remember her from the early days of The NFL Today on CBS. Ridiculed as a Black beauty queen who didn't know sports, she was, in truth, a complex, compassionate woman who grew up captivated by Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress. Jayne's heartfelt book takes the reader on Kennedy's voyage of growing up beautiful and ambitious and often unwelcome. Congresswoman Chisholm once said, 'If there isn't a seat at the table, pull up a folding chair.' That is exactly what Kennedy did."
--Lesley Visser, Hall of Fame sportscaster, first woman to cover the NFL (Boston Globe 1976), first woman inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (2006)

"The word iconic is grossly overused in our modern-day lexicon, but Jayne Kennedy has earned that distinction on so many fronts, in so many ways. What I love about Jayne is that unlike countless others, she was never seduced by her iconography. As she writes, 'Plain Jayne' is just fine. But plain is not to be confused with bland. I enjoyed reading every single sentence of this book, learning even more about the backstory of a boss woman like no other. I think you will too. Enjoy!"
--Tavis Smiley, broadcaster and bestselling author

"Plain Jayne is not just retracing the footsteps of a broadcasting pioneer. It is illuminating the often razor-thin line between professional excellence and personal pain. Its honesty is both refreshing and brutal, and its message of perseverance, faith, and forgiveness is timeless and inspiring."
--Ernie Johnson Jr., host of Inside the NBA and author of Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life Extraordinary

"From her early childhood, to Hollywood, to cohost as the first woman of color on a national sports broadcast, to friendships with the likes of Muhammad Ali and Smokey Robinson, Jayne's courage and beauty, inside and out, shines throughout. Her story about family, success, heartbreak, and love is an inspirational read. The many women who have followed in her footsteps owe her a debt of gratitude."
--Robert Fishman, CBS Sports Director, (1975-2023)

"From small-town Ohio, to the glitz and glamor of 70's Hollywood, to the fast-paced newsroom of The NFL Today, Jayne Kennedy takes readers on a captivating journey through her remarkable life and career. Told with honesty, candor, and sharp insight, Plain Jayne is a once in a lifetime memoir by an extraordinary woman, who is one of the inspirations behind my own TV career."
--Deborah Roberts, 20/20 Co-Host and award-winning ABC News Correspondent

About the Author

JAYNE KENNEDY is an actress, sports broadcaster, television personality, writer, and producer. Her accolades for being a trailblazer are numerous, including the National Sports Media Association's Roone Arledge Award for Innovation, Black Enterprise's Women of Power Summit's Legacy Award, and the NAACP Image Award for Best Actress for the film Body & Soul, which she also produced. Viacom/BET named her one of the Ten Black Female Firsts in TV Journalism Around the World, and in 2018 she was inducted to the prestigious Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington D.C., in the Television and the Media Landscape exhibit, presented in the Oprah Winfrey Wing of the institution.