*Jayne Kennedy has long been recognized as a trailblazer. From becoming the first Black woman crowned Miss Ohio USA to breaking barriers on “The NFL Today,” she has carved out a career that defied expectations. Now, she shares her story in “Plain Jayne: A Memoir,” an unflinching account of her triumphs and challenges.
The memoir highlights her many firsts: the only woman to host the syndicated program “Greatest Sports Legends,” the creator behind the bestselling “Love Your Body” fitness series, and a cultural figure honored by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Jayne describes the book as her opportunity to finally go on the record about her personal journey. In reflecting on her career and the detours she faced, Kennedy opened up about a health battle that forced her to step away from the spotlight.
“Because when I stepped away for a lot of different reasons, one of them being my health. And when I got endometriosis and that was, it was so painful that I wouldn’t able, I was not able to work. And it was at the pivotal point of the campaign of my Love Your Body exercise program.”
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The condition interrupted her booming fitness empire.
“I was right up there in the top three with Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons. And I had created this, I had written it, I had produced it. I had planned every aspect of it and now I was marketing it. And this was like all me and I was so proud of it. And it was doing phenomenally well. And then all of a sudden I get to a point where I can’t even do a sit-up. I was so sick with endometriosis.”
After years of searching for solutions, a doctor suggested an unconventional path forward.
“He said to me, Jane, well, you know, there is one, it’s not a cure, but there’s a treatment that works. And I said, what’s that? He said, pregnancy.” Kennedy embraced the advice and soon became a mother. “Within three months, I was pregnant.”
Although her illness persisted for more than a decade before a hysterectomy ended the pain, Jayne never gave up on her ambitions. Today, she feels ready for her next chapter.
“I am ready. And it’s Jayne 2.0, full throttle. And I am not done yet, which is why the name of the company is Not Done Yet.”
Acting remains a dream she still hopes to fulfill.
“I never really had the chance to grab my teeth into an acting role that had so much substance that it called upon me to do an incredible job… This is what my dream was from the very beginning. And I never, ever, I still have not had the opportunity to do that one role that I know was created for me.”
Her reintroduction comes not only through Plain Jayne, but also a new fragrance line: Jane Kennedy’s Sun and Moon.
Jayne Kennedy is still looking for that one defining role, but her voice, story, and resilience remain as powerful as ever. You can order “Plain Jayne: A Memoir” now on Amazon.
Watch our exclusive, full conversation with the iconic and incredible Jayne Kennedy via the video below.
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