Jayne Kennedy, born Jane Harrison on October 27, 1951, in Washington, D.C., is a multifaceted American personality, exceling as an actress, model, and sportscaster.
Jayne made history in 1970 by becoming the first African American woman to win the Miss Ohio USA title, and she went on to be one of the 10 semi-finalists in the 1970 Miss USA pageant, a rare achievement for an African American woman at that time.
As Jayne began her modeling career, she crossed paths with Leon Isaac Kennedy, a DJ and struggling actor/writer, and the two fell deeply in love, marrying in 1970 with Motown's Smokey Robinson serving as the best man. The couple then relocated to California to pursue their acting dreams.
Throughout the 1970s, Jayne accumulated over 10 notable TV guest appearances and roles in seven movies, demonstrating her impressive range as an actress.
In 1978, Jayne broke ground by becoming one of the first women to infiltrate the male-dominated world of sports announcing with her role on The NFL Today.
In the early 1980s, Jayne ventured into producing exercise videos, but she was later diagnosed with Endometriosis. Her marriage to Leon Isaac Kennedy ended in divorce in 1982, and she married actor Bill Overton in 1985.
Despite her struggles with Endometriosis, Jayne and Bill Overton went on to have three beautiful daughters: Savannah Re, born on November 20, 1985, Kopper Joi, born on May 17, 1989, and Zaire Ollyea, born on September 15, 1995.
