Jessica Hahn (born July 7, 1959) is a retired actress, television and radio personality and Playboy model who is best known for her involvement with televangelist Jim Bakker in the 1980s.
She appeared on Married... with Children as Ricki the Shoe Groupie, a sexy redheaded woman who frequently visits Gary's Shoes not just to buy new shoes, but also to see Al, who she becomes infatuated with in the Season 6 episode "So This is How Sinatra Felt"
Early Life[]
Hahn was born in Massapequa, New York. She graduated from Massapequa High School in 1977. Among those in her graduating class were musician Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats, actor / director Tim Van Patten and NFL player Brian Baldinger. While growing up, she often felt alone and then, one day, she noticed music coming from a yellow tent, which led her to find religion and join the PTL. She eventually met the head of the PTL, Jim Bakker, who then raped her and took her virginity.[1][2]
Jim Bakker scandal[]
Hahn first came to public attention following Bakker's announcement on March 19, 1987 that he was stepping down as head of PTL and Heritage USA, pending the imminent disclosure of the sexual encounter. According to Hahn, on the afternoon of December 6, 1980, when she was a 21-year-old church secretary, she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Bakker and another preacher, John Wesley Fletcher, for "about 15 minutes."[3] In his 1997 book, I Was Wrong, Bakker disputed Hahn's account, claiming that he was "set up" and that the sex was consensual.[4]
After learning about the affair, Bakker's wife, Tammy Faye, defended him and called Hahn "ugly". Though she would later divorce Bakker in 1993. Hahn said that prior to her death from cancer in 2007, Tammy Faye had reached out to her via phone and made amends, with Hahn admitting that she had always admired Tammy Faye from her time at the PTL.[5]
Along with people mocking and shaming Hahn, other accused her of lying about the rape. In late 1987, a women named Roxanne Dacus announced that she would be doing an interview with Penthouse magazine to show that Hahn was lying to the public. She also claimed that Hahn was not a virgin nor was she raped and in fact, had worked as a prostitute for Dacus between 1977 and 1978, using the name "Jessie" or "Joanne". She noted that Hahn was well versed in sex and left her clients satisfied, though she also noted that Hahn was picky and preferred performing oral sex over intercourse. The magazine claimed that several other prostitutes who worked with Hahn and clients who had sex with her for money could verify Dacus' claims. Although Hahn and her lawyer denied the allegations and threatened to sue, the interview was later published in the January 1988 issue.[6][7]
Acting and modeling career[]
After the public revelation of the Bakker scandal, Hahn posed for Playboy magazine pictorials and videos. She appeared in the November 1987, December 1987, and September 1988, as well as the 1992 Playboy Video Centerfold.
In an interview for the Los Angeles Times in 1988, Hahn mentioned that both Playboy and the more explicit Penthouse both competed to get her to pose for their respective magazines after the scandal came out to the public. She also noted that Penthouse offered her more money, but then would not keep their words on previously agreed terms. Though, Playboy claimed that it was actually Hahn and her agent who had approached them and offered to pose for the magazine.[8]
In August 1988, she began to work at a local radio station in Phoenix, Arizona, but was let go by December of that same year.[9]
Jessica Hahn as the sexy Ricki, who is smitten with Al (Ed O'Neill), in another visit to Gary's Shoes.
She also appeared in several television shows, including her appearances on Married... with Children and Unhappily Ever After. She also became known for being a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show during the 1990 until 2011.
Personal life[]
She had a relationship with comedian Sam Kinison and appeared in his music video for "Wild Thing" in 1988.
Beginning in 1991, she had a relationship with the co-creator of Married...with Children, Ron Leavitt, which continued until Leavitt's death in 2008.
Following his death, she stated that she was estranged from Leavitt's ex-wife and kids, who prohibited her from attending his funeral and essentially tried to force her out of the house and made it difficult for her to receive any inheritance that she would have been entitled to. She fell into a deep depression which lead to weight gain and drug use to cope until eventually choosing to go into a drug rehab center.[10][11][12]
In a 2017 interview, she stated that she has retired from acting and currently lives on a 45 acre farm an hour north of Los Angeles, California where she has a pet turkey among several other animals. She also revealed that she was married to actor and stunt coordinator, Frank Lloyd who played Norris among other roles on MWC. The couple began dating some time following the death of Ron Leavitt, confirming their relationship on The Howard Stern Show in 2011. [13][14] She also noted that she was a proud conservative and a supporter of then-U.S. President Donald Trump.[5][9]
In July 2023, Lloyd filed for divorce from Hahn, citing "irreconcilable differences". According to legal documents filed in Los Angeles, they had had been married since 2009, but separated in 2018. He had also requested to split the costs of attorney fees and that neither of them receive spousal support. [15][16]
Filmography[]
- Hollywood: The Movie (1996) (V) as Esther
- Unhappily Ever After as Miss Taylor (3 episodes, 1995)
- Amanda & the Alien (1995) (TV) as TV Host
- Blossom as Girl #1 (1 episode, 1992)
- Dream On as Reporter 1 (1 episode, 1992)
- Bikini Summer II (1992) as Marilyn
- Married... with Children as Ricki (1 episode, 1991)
- "Brittania Video" directed by Bryan Michael Stoller (1990)
References[]
- ↑ PB Video Centerfold 1992 Jessica Hahn - Interview Segment
- ↑ The Preachers: Jim & Tammy Faye: Part 2.
- ↑ "Larry King Live Interview with Jessica Hahn (rush transcript)", CNN, July 14, 2005. Retrieved on July 29, 2007.
- ↑ Jim Bakker (1997). pp. 512. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-0-7852-7136-9.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Jessica Hahn, woman at center of televangelist’s fall confronts her past. Charlotte Observer (December 16, 2017). Retrieved on February 24, 2024.
- ↑ Report: Hahn was prostitute prior to tryst with Bakker. UPI (November 29, 1987). Retrieved on August 10, 2024.
- ↑ A former madam who claims Jessica Hahn worked as.... UPI (December 3, 1987). Retrieved on August 10, 2024.
- ↑ Why Famous Women Pose for Centerfolds. Los Angeles Times (September 22, 1988). Retrieved on February 24, 2024.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 How the sex scandal of televangelist and now Trump fan Jim Bakker wound up in Phoenix. azcentral (September 22, 1988). Retrieved on February 24, 2024.
- ↑ Married with Children episode 'So This Is How Sinatra Felt (1991)' trivia. IMDb (1991). Retrieved on 19 July 2012.
- ↑ So why did the LA Times leave Jessica Hahn out of Ron Leavitt's obit?. Tabloid Baby (12 February 2008). Retrieved on 19 July 2012.
- ↑ JESSICA HAHN IS TRIM AND SOBER. howardstern.com.
- ↑ Jessica Hahn, woman at center of televangelist’s fall 30 years ago, confronts her past. The News & Observer.
- ↑ STUNTMAN FRANK IS A BADASS AT WORK & IN THE BEDROOM. howardstern.com.
- ↑ Husband of Jessica Hahn, Secretary in Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker Scandal, Files for Divorce. People (July 13, 2023). Retrieved on February 24, 2024.
- ↑ Playboy Playmate Jessica Hahn’s Husband Files For Divorce. The Blast (via Y! Entertainment) (July 13, 2023). Retrieved on February 24, 2024.