TV host, sports broadcaster, and former model Leeann Tweeden published an article detailing sexual misconduct committed against her by Senator Al Franken (D-Minn). During a USO Tour to entertain the troops, the former comedian allegedly assaulted Tweeden while practicing a skit he wrote. Franken had written a kiss into the skit, which Tweeden says she planned to reject, but Franken insisted they practice and that's when the alleged misconduct occurred.
Tweeden wrote: "He repeated that actors really need to rehearse everything and that we must practice the kiss. 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."
She went on to write "I immediately pushed him away with both of my hands against his chest and told him if he ever did that to me again I wouldn’t be so nice about it the next time. I walked away. All I could think about was getting to a bathroom as fast as possible to rinse the taste of him out of my mouth."
"I felt disgusted and violated. Not long after, I performed the skit as written, carefully turning my head so he couldn’t kiss me on the lips," said Tweeden.
Tweeden says no one saw what happened backstage and she did not tell anyone because she didn't want to cause trouble. She says she avoided Franken during the rest of the tour and he repaid her with petty insults but then went even further. During a 36-hour trip home to L.A., while exhausted, Tweeden fell asleep still wearing her flak vest and Kevlar helmet. When she returned to the US and went through the photos, she found one of Franken groping her breasts.
"I couldn’t believe it. He groped me, without my consent, while I was asleep. I felt violated all over again. Embarrassed. Belittled. Humiliated. How dare anyone grab my breasts like this and think it’s funny?" said Tweeden.
Following Tweeden's revelation, Franken issued a statement apologizing, to which she accepted. "The apology, sure I accept it, yes. People make mistakes and of course he knew he made a mistake," Tweeden said. "So yes I do accept that apology."
Source: kabc.com
