Leeann Tweeden

Leeann Tweeden
Tweeden signing an autograph at Camp Arifjan in December 2007
Born Leeann Velez Tweeden
(1973-06-13) June 13, 1973
Manassas, Virginia, U.S.
Residence Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Model, announcer, television personality
Spouse(s)
Chris Dougherty (m. 2010)
Children 2
Modeling information
Height 5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Hair color brunette
Eye color brown
Website www.leeanntweeden.com

Leeann Velez Tweeden (born June 13, 1973) is an American radio broadcaster, model and sports commentator. Since February 2017, she has been the news anchor for McIntyre in the Morning on Radio 790 KABC in Los Angeles.[1]

Early life

Tweeden was born in Manassas, Virginia,[2] to Bill Tweeden, a retired Air Force Chief Mechanic, and her mother, Catherine.[3] She is half Filipina on her mother's side. After graduating from Osbourn Park High School, in 1991, Tweeden moved to Hollywood to pursue a career in modeling.[4]

Career

In 1992, while working as a hostess at a Hooters restaurant (she was in their 1994 calendar) in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she won first place in the Venus International Model Search. This break led to national exposure, including a regular role as a fitness model on the TV show Fitness Beach. Tweeden modeled for promotional work for Hooters, Venus International, and Frederick's of Hollywood.[4] In the early 2000s Tweeden hosted many segments of the Fox Sports Net show Bluetorch TV[5][6][7][8]

Tweeden was a correspondent for Fox Sports Networks' The Best Damn Sports Show Period from 2001 to 2007. In 2008, Tweeden became the third hostess of the NBC late night television series Poker After Dark.[9] She has also appeared on the political discussion series Hannity in 2011 and 2012.[2] She was a member of the "Great American Panel" and also occasionally appeared on the panel of Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld.[10][11]

Tweeden was seen in pre- and post-game coverage of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on Fox Sports West and on Fox Sports 1's UFC Tonight, with Kenny Florian and Ariel Helwani.[10]

Tweeden is currently on the Los Angeles morning radio show McIntyre in the Morning on KABC, 790 AM from 5 - 10AM as the news anchor. She joined the show on February 7, 2017.[1]

Appearances

In August, 1996, Tweeden appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine, as well as posed non-nude as part of a fitness model pictorial for that issue. Fifteen years later, at 38 years old, she appeared again on the cover of Playboy's December, 2011 issue, this time posing in a nude pictorial. In 2002, she was a guest character in the motocross video game Freekstyle as a motocross rider. The March 2007 Issue of FHM (which was the final printed US issue) featured Tweeden as the cover girl.[12] As part of Hooters' 25th anniversary in 2008, she was named among "The Top Hooters Girls of all time".[13]

Since 2002, Tweeden has gone on at least sixteen tours with the USO including twelve to Afghanistan and Iraq.[2][14]

Allegations against Al Franken

Franken and Tweeden in Kuwait on their 2006 USO tour

On November 16, 2017, Tweeden gave an interview to 790 KABC, and wrote a post on their website, accusing Al Franken of inappropriate behavior toward her when the two were on USO tour to the Middle East in 2006. Tweeden stated that Franken, who in 2008 was elected to the United States Senate from Minnesota, insisted that they rehearse the kiss that appeared in the script for a skit in the USO show: "I said 'OK' so he would stop badgering me. We did the line leading up to the kiss and then he came at me, put his hand on the back of my head, mashed his lips against mine and aggressively stuck his tongue in my mouth."[15] She said she pushed him away, feeling "disgusted and violated".[15][16][17]

Tweeden wrote that Franken also posed for a photograph with her while she was asleep on the C-17 cargo plane flying home.[15] According to the Washington Post, the photograph "shows Franken looking into a camera, his hands either over or on Tweeden’s chest as she slept".[16][17][18] Franken responded, saying: "I certainly don't remember the rehearsal for the skit in the same way, but I send my sincerest apologies to Leeann. ... As to the photo, it was clearly intended to be funny but wasn’t. I shouldn’t have done it."[19] He issued a longer apology later,[20] which Tweeden accepted.[21]

Personal life

Tweeden met her husband, Chris Dougherty, a retired Air Force pilot for the California Air National Guard, during a USO tour. They married in 2010. They have two children, son Kane and daughter Kaia.[2][22]

She considers herself fiscally conservative and said that she voted twice for President George W. Bush.[2]

In 2009, she became the public face of the website Rethinking Autism, which uses a series of videos to educate the public about autism.[23]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Leeann Tweeden Named News Anchor For KABC/Los Angeles 'McIntyre In The Morning'", AllAccess.com, February 7, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Viebeck, Elise; Lee, Michelle Ye Hee (16 November 2017). "Franken's accuser stepped forward after years of silent outrage". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  3. ↑ "Leeann Tweeden, All-American Spouse". Military Spouse. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Leeann Tweeden". playboy.com. PEI. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  5. ↑ Bluetorch TV credit roll featuring Tweeden.
  6. ↑ Bluetorch TV segment introduced by Tweeden.
  7. ↑ Bluetorch TV segment introduced by Tweeden.
  8. ↑ Bluetorch TV segment introduced by Tweeden.
  9. ↑ Poker on NBC
  10. 1 2 Leeann Tweeden on IMDb
  11. ↑ Hannity (2013-07-26). "Defending Weiner? 'My Mayor Is Not My Husband, Sean!'". Fox News Insider. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  12. ↑ FHM 's Leeann Tweeden interview and photo spread Archived 2005-10-01 at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ↑ "The Top HOOTERS Girls of all time". HOOTERS Magazine. July/ August 2008. p. 108.
  14. ↑ Military Spouse Magazine: "Leeann Tweeden: All-American Spouse" by Kate Dolack 2014
  15. 1 2 3 Tweeden, Leeann (November 16, 2017). "Senator Al Franken Kissed and Groped Me Without My Consent, And There’s Nothing Funny About It", 790KABC.
  16. 1 2 Wang, Amy B; Ye Hee Lee, Michelle; Bever, Lindsey (November 16, 2017). "‘Al Franken kissed and groped me without my consent,’ broadcaster Leeann Tweeden says", The Washington Post.
  17. 1 2 Fandos, Nicholas (November 16, 2017). "Senator Al Franken Accused of Groping a Woman in 2006", The New York Times.
  18. ↑ Reuters Staff (November 16, 2017). "Woman accuses Senator Al Franken of unwanted groping, kiss". Reuters.
  19. ↑ Variety Magazine: "Al Franken Apologizes After Being Accused of Groping, Kissing Radio Host Without Consent" By Maane Khatchatourian, November 16, 2017
  20. ↑ "Read Al Franken's apology following accusation of groping and kissing without consent". CNN. November 17, 2017.
  21. ↑ Savransky, Rebecca (November 17, 2017). "Woman who accused Franken says she accepts his apology". The Hill.
  22. ↑ "Leeann Tweeden Married Life with Husband Chris Dougherty". Frost Snow. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  23. ↑ "Leeann Tweeden videos". Rethinking Autism. Archived from the original on June 17, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
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