Suzen Johnson

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On the cover of Playboy, November 1997
On the cover of Playboy, November 1997

Suzen Johnson (February 1951—) is a former flight attendant, businesswoman, and model. She is most notable as Frank Gifford's mistress during the Spring of 1997. The affair made the headlines of several tabloids that year. The two were photographed together[1], embarrassing Frank's wife, Kathie Lee Gifford.

Johnson was born in Washington, D.C. and later moved to Florida. She married athlete and businessman Harold E. Johnson (1930-) who made money in the 1950s transforming gyms into fitness centers by adding services and amenities. [2] In 1989, the couple opened two unsuccessful Fabulous New Woman Health Spas in New Bedford and Fall River, Massachusetts. [3]

For many years, she worked as a flight attendant for Trans World Airlines (TWA), including being scheduled to work on TWA Flight 800 which crashed in 1996, but swapping shifts the day before.[4]

At the end of April and beginning of May, 1997, Johnson spent a week with Gifford at the Regency Hotel, in Manhattan. [5] Unknown to either Johnson or Gifford, the weekly tabloid The Globe had concealed video cameras and tape recording equipment in the room to document their affair, and published the story that May.

In the November following the Gifford scandal, Johnson appeared on the front cover of Playboy, and appeared in a nude pictorial inside that issue.[6]

The extent to which the Globe went "to get the story" became a news issue in itself.[7][8] In January 1999, the National Enquirer published a story about the Globe paying Johnson for the story about the affair[9], and in June 1999, she sued the publisher of The Globe, claiming that she was told the newspaper only wanted to write about their platonic relationship, and the paper had wired their hotel room without telling her [10].

In 2001, she ran a website called "SuzenJohnson.com: Frank Gifford's Mistress Tells All", with her image from the Playboy cover. On the site, she wrote about her faith, her battles with the tabloids, had a picture gallery, and intended to have fitness information, a members section, and a store.[11] The site closed before 2003.


[edit] References

  1. ^ Photos Embarrass Giffords Elizabeth Johns, E! Online news, May 16, 1997
  2. ^ My background in the health and fitness industry SuzenJohnson.com, archived August 7, 2001
  3. ^ Gifford scandal hits home Chris Gonsalves, The New Bedford Standard-Times June 5, 1997
  4. ^ My story SuzenJohnson.com, archived August 7, 2001
  5. ^ The Top 5 Most Asked Questions About the Gifford Relationship SuzenJohnson.com, archived June 9, 2001
  6. ^ Frank Gifford's Mistress Exposed in "Playboy" Marcus Errico, E! Online news, Aug 8, 1997
  7. ^ 'Yellow journalism': quaint concept in today's 'untidy' media world Paul Eisenberg, Media Studies Center, May 19, 1998, hosted by the Freedom Forum
  8. ^ Taming the Tabloids Darcie Lunsford, American Journalism Review, September 2000
  9. ^ Tabloid loses fight to stop rival from publishing Gifford affair story Associated Press, January 4, 1999, hosted by the Freedom Forum
  10. ^ Gifford's mistress sues tabloid CNN Showbuzz, June 23, 1999
  11. ^ SuzenJohnson.com Archived February 1, 2001
Persondata
NAME Johnson, Suzen
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Flight attendant; Frank Gifford's mistress
DATE OF BIRTH February 1951
PLACE OF BIRTH Washington, D.C.
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH
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