Beverly Johnson

Beverly Johnson
Johnson in 2007
Born	(1952-10-13) October 13, 1952 Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Model, actress, businesswomen
Years active	1971-present
Spouse(s)	Billy Potter (m. 1971–74) Danny Sims (m. 1977-79)
Children	Anansa Sims
Modeling information
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Hair color	Dark brown
Eye color	Brown
Measurements	34-25-35
Dress size	6
Website
www.beverlyjohnson.com

Beverly Johnson (born October 13, 1952)^[1] is an American model, actress, and businesswoman. She made history when she rose to fame as the first African-American model to appear on the cover of American Vogue in August 1974.^[2][3] In 1975, she became the first black woman to appear on the cover of the French edition of Elle.^[4] She was the star of the reality series Beverly's Full House, on the Oprah Winfrey Network.

The New York Times named Johnson one of the 20th century's most influential people in fashion.^[5]

Early life and career

Born into a middle-class family in Buffalo, New York, Johnson was a champion swimmer in her youth and aspired to be a lawyer.^[1] She was a criminal justice major at Northeastern University when she tried modeling^[6] while on summer break in 1971.^[1] She quickly landed an assignment with Glamour and began working steadily.^[6] She went on to appear on more than 500 magazine covers, including the August 1974 issue of Vogue, becoming the magazine's first African-American cover model.^[1] Her appearance on the cover changed the beauty ideal in US fashion, and by 1975, every major American fashion designer had begun using African-American models.^[7]

In addition to modeling, Johnson has also written a book, Beverly Johnson's Guide to a Life of Health and Beauty,^[8] and embarked on an acting career.^[9] She has also had roles in the films Ashanti (1979), The Meteor Man (1993), Def Jam's How to Be a Player (1997), and Crossroads (2002). She has appeared in guest spots on several television series, including Martin (TV series), Law & Order, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, The Parent 'Hood and the Super Bowl episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun (1998). She served for two seasons as a celebrity judge on the TV Land series She's Got the Look, a reality series, where women over 35 compete for a modeling contract and magazine spread. At the start of the series in 2008, Johnson shared that she and other models had suffered from anorexia and bulimia during her career.^[10] She had a brief singing career, releasing one album in 1979 on Buddah Records. Johnson has been a longtime hair and beauty influencer.^[11]

Memoir and Accusation of Bill Cosby

In 2013, she published a memoir. In late 2014, she wrote an article for Vanity Fair about her attempted rape by Bill Cosby. Johnson said that Cosby spiked a cup of cappuccino with an unknown drug. Realizing what was happening, Johnson said she screamed and cursed at him several times before Cosby dragged her out and hailed a cab for her. ^[12] In the article, she accuses Cosby of drugging her in a meeting at his Manhattan residence in the 1980s, although she stated that the incident did not involve sexual assault.^[13]

Filmography

See also

• "Liberian Girl"

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beverly Johnson.

• BeverlyJohnson.com
• Beverly Johnson at the Internet Movie Database
• Beverly Johnson at the Fashion Model Directory
• Beverly Johnson on tvland.com