Jayne Kennedy Releases Memoir “Plain Jayne” on September 2, 2025

Washington, D.C., September 2, 2025 - Emmy-nominated sportscaster and actress Jayne Kennedy today publishes her long-awaited memoir, Plain Jayne, offering an unflinching look at her trailblazing career and personal trials.

Kennedy, who first made history as the inaugural Black Miss Ohio in 1970 and went on to become one of network television’s first Black female sportscasters on CBS’s The NFL Today, credits Oprah Winfrey with encouraging her to tell her full story. In a recent interview with CNN, Kennedy revealed that Winfrey urged her in 2010 to capture her life experiences, leading to a memoir that spans her rise to stardom, the highs of her family life, and the lows of a scandalous tape leak in the early 1980s.

In Plain Jayne, Kennedy confronts the tape incident-when private footage with her then-husband, actor Leon Isaac Kennedy, was released following their divorce-at the outset, explaining that addressing the most painful chapter first was essential for setting the record straight. “I realized that if I didn’t share that segment of my truth, people might question the validity of the rest of my story,” she said.

At 73, Kennedy also reflects on her roles as mother and grandmother, emphasizing that family has been her greatest achievement. She shares how perseverance, a value she learned early on, has guided her through career setbacks and personal heartache. Kennedy hopes her memoir will resonate with readers facing their own struggles: “There are women suffering today, and if I can contribute, even in a small way, I want to”.

Plain Jayne is now available in bookstores nationwide and on major e-book platforms. Kennedy will mark the release with a series of appearances, including a speaking engagement at the California African American Museum on September 10.