Jenny Jones Biography

Jenny Jones (born Janina Stronski; June 7, 1946) is a Canadian American stand-up comedian and talk show host. She hosted The Jenny Jones Show from 1991 to 2003.

Life and career

Jones was born Janina Stronski in Bethlehem (or Jerusalem), British Mandate for Palestine. She moved with her family to Italy, and to Canada in 1948. Her parents were Polish immigrants, Zosia "Sophie", a seamstress and dressmaker, and John Stronski, a Polish army officer who was with the British Armed Forces at the time of Jones' birth. Jones grew up in London, Ontario, in a strict Catholic household. Her parents ran a bridal shop in Canada.

Jones started her career as a drummer in a rock band, and later attempted a career in stand-up comedy during the 1980s. Prior to that, her first television appearances came as a contestant on The Price is Right in 1979, Match Game in 1981, and Press Your Luck in 1985.

The Jenny Jones Show

The Jenny Jones Show was a Canadian and then American syndicated daytime tabloid talk show that was hosted by Jones. It was produced by Telepictures and was distributed by Warner Bros. Television. The show ran from September 1991 to September 2003 and was taped in Chicago at WMAQ-TV studios.

Women's Health Advocate

Jones was an honorary chairperson for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Chicago Race for the Cure, an annual event that raises awareness and money for breast cancer research. Jones also donated a mobile mammography motor coach to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County. Six silicone-implant operations since 1981 had left her with firm and asymmetrical breasts. Jones later had her breast implants removed, and publicly spoke out against them in a cover story article in People Magazine. Jones then went on to established The Image Foundation as a resource for women seeking information about implants and support with body image issues.

In 1997 Jones' autobiography, Jenny Jones: My Story was published with 100% of her proceeds going to breast cancer research. In 2006, her cookbook, Look Good, Feel Great was published and Jones again donated her profits to breast cancer research at City of Hope.

Philanthropy

Jones established The Jenny Jones Foundation in 2005 as a means to provide assistance to those in need. Primary areas of focus are education, women's health, and improving communities throughout the country. In 2008, Jenny established "Jenny's Heroes" a program where, through The Jenny Jones Foundation, she is giving 2 million dollars of her own money to individuals wanting to make a difference in their local communities.

Controversy

On an episode called "Same-Sex Secret Crushes" taped on March 6, 1995, a gay man named Scott Amedure confessed his love for an acquaintance, Jonathan Schmitz. While on the show, Schmitz reacted with laughter. Three days after the show's airing, Schmitz killed Amedure. He was later convicted of second degree murder and received a sentence of 25"50 years in prison.

Amedure's family then sued the producers of The Jenny Jones Show, saying they should have known about Schmitz's mental illness history. In interviews, Jones said the producers told Schmitz that his admirer could be a man, but Schmitz thought that the admirer was a woman. Jones also said that the show didn't want Schmitz to know the outcome of his secret crush. Amedure's family won the initial ruling, and the show was ordered to pay them $25 million. The verdict was later overturned by the Michigan appellate court.

Personal life

Although she has left the talk TV scene behind, Jones continues to interact with her fans on her Facebook page, and still maintains an official website, JennyJones.com, She has already posted on her Facebook page that despite the requests she has been getting to return to television, she has no desire to return and prefers to stay out of the spotlight.

Another website, JennysHeroes.com, which she launched in 2008, features inspirational stories from anonymous people who positively impacted their communities. Jones has given roughly over $1,000,000 to fifty such people, who are looked upon as "heroes", since the website's launched; the website is based upon a segment of the Jenny Jones talk show, which also featured such people.

Jones has been married three times; her first, in 1969, was annulled that year. She married Al Gambino, a standup comedian, in 1970; they divorced in 1972. Jones married Buz Wilburn (a record marketing executive) in 1973; they divorced in 1980. She is in a long-term relationship with Denis McCallion, who works as a film location manager.