Leave it to the LA Times to leave the most interesting part of a man’s life out of his obituary.Ron Leavitt, a creator of Fox’s landmark lowbrow sitcom, Married with Children, succumbed to cancer Sunday at the age of 60. The Times dutifully describes how the show’s “racy content” was attacked in the late Eighties, as were we at A Current Affair, by the likes of Jesse Helms, the Christian Right and militant housewife Terry Rakolta-- and how, like A Current Affair, Married “kept Fox in the black for five or six years." (See Tabloid Baby.)
So it’s puzzling that the Times omits any mention of Leavitt’s companion, mistress and fiancée of the past fifteen years: the Christian Right scandal girl of the time, Jessica Hahn.
Jessica burst into the tabloid spotlight when her sexual encounter with televangelist Jim Bakker led the preacher to quit two and half weeks before Married with Children’s premiere. She wound up with a recurring role on the show, as well as a few Playboy spreads.
Jessica told Larry King about Ron two years ago: “He was the first man that took a chance with me on Married With Children. Nobody would hire me for TV, not that they should… and he said. ‘Jessica, come on in and audition.’ Nobody had the balls to do that.
And the last day of my shoot, he said,’ Jessica, come on, how about a cup of coffee, maybe some dinner,’ and he was a complete gentleman and we have been together 15 years and I have never been more in love in my life.“I was Al Bundy's shoe groupie. And between Ron Leavitt, Hugh Hefner -- I've got to tell you something: Church is great. It's great, but I've got to tell you, I found my church here. Hugh Hefner has been nothing but a gentleman. Ron Leavitt is -- been my... I think someday me and Ronnie are going to marry. I really do.”
The New York Times' website has an AP obit. The second graph reads:
“Leavitt died at his home in Los Angeles, said his fiancee, the model and actress Jessica Hahn.”
The LA Times’ reads:
“Leavitt died of lung cancer Sunday at his home in Sherman Oaks, said publicist Larry Winokur.”
What would raunchy Times owner Sam Zell think of this omission? We've got an email in to the reporter. We'll let you know if he writes back.
(When we met Jessica at the height of the PTL scandal, she was very sweet-- and fascinated by our office Elvis Shrine. Click here for some nice NSFW Jessica photos.)
17 comments:
Jessica Hahn--Too Racy for LA Times/Left out of Ron Leavitt's Obit
Is there a new regime of Puritanism down on Spring Street? Besides bowdlerizing Earl Butz's obituary and Sam Zell's use of the vernacular, the LA Times tidies up the obit of Ron Leavitt, the recently departed creator of Married with Children, the show everyone used to love to hate on FOX.
Tabloid Baby points out that Jessica Hahn, onetime playmate of televangelist Jim Bakker, had been Leavitt's constant companion for the last 15 years.
AP/Chicago Tribune:
Leavitt died at his home in Los Angeles, said his fiancee, the model and actress Jessica Hahn.
LAT:
Leavitt died of lung cancer Sunday at his home in Sherman Oaks, said publicist Larry Winokur.
So, is a publicist more respectable, in a family paper, than a fiancee? She's not even mentioned as a survivor.
Let's consider a few things the general public may not know.
First of all, Jessica did not live with Ron. She lived in a seperate domicile, which she readily admits Ron purchased for her.
The morning after Ron's death, Jessica, in true form, called in to Howard Stern's show to cry.
" Jessica said she'd been with Ron for 16 years, and he'd taken care of her the whole time, paying her rent and eventually buying her a home. "
Fiance? Maybe that term should be redefined.
Jessica spends a great deal of her time on AOL, in a particular chat room, Crime and Courts. She goes by the alias, "Fawn". Jessica was present in the chat room to announce Ron's illness then to announce he had little time to live and ultimately, announced his death. All this was troubling to various AOL members since there was no mention in the media, prior to Mr. Leavitt's death, that he was ill.
Obviously, Jessica Hahn took it upon herself to announce a very confidential and person time in Mr. Leavitt's life for the sake of attention. One has to wonder what his children would think of that action.
Perhaps the word, "fiance", was used to lessen the truth about her role in Mr. Leavitt's life. After all, Ms. Hahn's character and past history is less than stellar, even by Hollywood standards.
Jessica looked to him as a sugar daddy. Ron Leavitt was generous.
JESSICA HAHN HAS NEVER RESIDED WITH RON LEAVIT..HIS WIFE PASSED AWAY IN 2005...GET THAT..WIFE!!!..HAHN WAS A KEPT HO, SHE WAS NOT EVEN WITH THE MAN WHEN HE PASSED..SHE WAS ON AOL SENDING OUT INSTANT MESSAGES AND SEEKING ATTENTION..SHE OPENLY ADMITS THAT SHE SPENT HOLIDAYS ALONE WATCHING MOVIES AND CHATTING ONLINE..SHE IS A HERMIT, NEVER LEAVES HER HOME EXCEPT TO WALK HER DOGS..SHE WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A PAID AND EXPENSIVE I MIGHT ADD, PIECE OF ASS TO RON LEAVITT.
after sixteen years they must have loved each other and doesn't
she deserve a place in his obituary?
Um, no she does not..do you not get it, he kept his realtionship with her private..he was never in public with her, never with her for more than a hour..she exploited his illness and death in a AOL chat room, she was a embarrassment to him...and she certainly was not his fiance'..Ron was married to his wife at the time of her death in 2005..so you do the math dip shit..kept ho..
THIS IS STRAIGHT OFF THE HOWARD STERN SHOW..JESSICAS OWN WORDS:
JESSICA HAHN MOURNS HER BOYFRIEND
Jessica Hahn called in crying that she didn't know what to do, because her longtime boyfriend, Ron Leavitt (the creator of “Married with Children”), died unexpectedly of cancer yesterday. Howard asked Jessica if Ron was a smoker, and Jessica admitted he was, adding that a collapsed lung had been one of the ailments plaguing him. Jessica said she'd been with Ron for 16 years, and he'd taken care of her the whole time, paying her rent and eventually buying her a home. Howard told Jessica he was sorry for her loss and would be thinking of her.
Wrap Up Show - Steve Grillo And Jessica Hahn Discussions. 02/11/08. 11:50am
A caller told the guys he thinks that Jessica Hahn is an attention whore and that's why she called in. Gary said that he doesn't think that's the case. He said that she thinks of them as her family and that's why she was calling in today.
Fred said he agrees with Gary about that. He said that Jessica is a genuinely nice and sweet person. He said that she's been misdirected at times but she's really a good person. Gary said that Will was looking at him weird and he doesn't believe that. Will said that it is a bizarre reaction to call a radio show when you're boyfriend dies. Fred and Gary told Will that her relationship with the show is very strong and she listens day and night because she's such a fan.
Gary said that there are people who think of the show as their family. Will said that Mariann from Brooklyn is like that. Will thinks that it's kind of exploiting the whole situation. Benjy said that would be like some kid with cancer calling the show and getting on and then living... He was talking about Will.
Jon took a call from a guy who said that Jessica's situation was very traumatic because the guy passed away so quickly. Fred said that Jessica really loved that guy and he knew that she was going to be fucked up today from that whole thing. He said that he was a stand up guy who treated her very well and they seemed to really care about each other very much.
Will said he believes that they were very close and Jessica was really upset. He said that her coming on the air was a little odd to him. He said that they didn't hear from Jim Florentine for 3 months after his girlfriend died. He had a long grieving process while Jessica didn't. The guys talked about that for a short time before they had to wrap up the show.
PAY ATTENTION...HAHN...IS A FIXED PRESENCE IN THE AOL CHAT ROOM " CRIME AND COURTS " SHE USES THE SCREEN NAME
'FAWN71777' SHE ANNOUNCED TO THE PEOPLE IN THAT CHAT ROOM..THAT LEAVITT WAS ILL, THEN, WHEN HE PASSED AWAY...SHE ANNOUNCED HIS PASSING...AND SHE HAS SINCE SHOWN UP IN THE CHAT ROOM... ASSURING HER PATHETIC LITTLE GANG OF VIRTUAL ADORING FANS...THAT SHE IS DOING HER BEST TO 'COPE' WITH HER TRAGIC LOSS....OH PUH---LEASE
You should leave her genuine grieving as it is. It makes him look better. She may be flighty and emotional, but this guy kept a paid escort behind his wife's back? That's crap.
Ron Leavitt was divorced from his wife for many, many years. I worked with him and he was a really great guy.
I knew and worked with Ron as well. He was the sweetest, least affected, and most generous guy in Hollywood. Agree with above; his EX-wife knew all about her. Everyone did. I don't know Jessica, but since I did know and love Ron, I say leave her alone. She was very lucky to have had him in her life for all that time.
I feel that Jessica needs a close
network of sincere friends as her
boyfriend has passed on, and now she feels alone in life. I think she is a VERY NICE PERSON at heart
and deserves the best from life.
I hope she finds it.
Anytime jessica wants to chat with me she is free to do so. I am always open to listening to people
I think want happiness in life.
robinedwards46@yahoo.com
leave the trash out for the garbageman to pickup... ;)
Jessica was the Good Time Girl. Not good enough to marry, kind of like a Valerie Trierweiler. She was willing to tag along behind a rich never-committer and be as his wife for years--forever. Never to be protected by the legal binding love of marriage.
I worked on Unhappily Ever After which was Ron's show too and every week on the show's tape day he would have flowers delivered to Jessica who came to see the show even if he wasn't in it. It was very thoughtful.
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