A Los Angeles news anchor and former model on Thursday accused Sen. Al Franken of sexually assaulting her during a USO tour to the Middle East in December 2006.
Leeann Tweeden had accompanied Franken, along with entertainers like Darryl Worley and Mark Wills, to perform a comedy show for American soldiers stationed overseas.
“As a TV host and sports broadcaster, as well as a model familiar to the audience from the covers of FHM, Maxim, and Playboy, I was only expecting to emcee and introduce the acts, but Franken said he had written a part for me that he thought would be funny, and I agreed to play along,” Tweeden wrote.
But Tweeden grew uncomfortable when she saw Franken had written in a kiss between them—and more uncomfortable still when he insisted they practice the kiss backstage.
“He repeated that actors really need to rehearse everything and that we must practice the kiss,” Tweeden wrote. “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 into my mouth. 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.”
A video feature credited to the Salem News in Oregon and posted on YouTube includes excerpts of the show. Starting just after the 50 second mark, viewers can see part of the skit with Franken and Tweeden:
Later, as they flew back to Los Angeles, Franken was photographed appearing to grope Tweeden while she slept.
“You wrote the scene that would include you kissing me and then relentlessly badgered me into ‘rehearsing’ the kiss with you backstage when we were alone,” Tweeden wrote. “You forcibly kissed me without my consent, grabbed my breasts while I was sleeping and had someone take a photo of you doing it, knowing I would see it later, and be ashamed.”
