Suzen Johnson
Encyclopedia
Suzen Johnson is a former flight attendant
, businesswoman, and model. Her notoriety stems from being the mistress of Frank Gifford
in April and May 1997, the affair making the headlines of several tabloids that year. The two were photographed together, bringing embarrassment to Gifford and his wife, Kathie Lee
.
and later moved to Florida
. She married athlete and businessman Harold E. Johnson (born 1930) who made money in the 1950s transforming gyms into fitness centers by adding services and amenities. In 1989, the couple opened two unsuccessful Fabulous New Woman Health Spas in New Bedford
and Fall River, Massachusetts
.
For many years she worked as a flight attendant
for TWA
, including being scheduled to work on TWA Flight 800
which crashed in 1996, but swapping shifts the day before.
. Unknown to 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. The Globe reportedly paid Johnson for the story, with figures mentioned from $75,000 to $125,000.
, and appeared in a nude pictorial inside that issue.
The extent to which the Globe went "to get the story" became a news issue in itself. In January 1999, the National Enquirer published a story about the Globe paying Johnson for the story about the affair, 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. Johnson said she signed an agreement with the tabloid in March 1997 in which Globe officials offered $25,000 for the Gifford story, and an additional $25,000 for a photo of them together.
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. The site closed in 2002.
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
, businesswoman, and model. Her notoriety stems from being the mistress of Frank Gifford
Frank Gifford
Francis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
in April and May 1997, the affair making the headlines of several tabloids that year. The two were photographed together, bringing embarrassment to Gifford and his wife, Kathie Lee
Kathie Lee Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford is an American television host, singer, songwriter and actress, best known for her 15-year run on the talk show Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin...
.
Life and career
Johnson was born in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and later moved to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. She married athlete and businessman Harold E. Johnson (born 1930) who made money in the 1950s transforming gyms into fitness centers by adding services and amenities. In 1989, the couple opened two unsuccessful Fabulous New Woman Health Spas in New Bedford
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
and Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
.
For many years she worked as a flight attendant
Flight attendant
Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...
for TWA
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
, including being scheduled to work on TWA Flight 800
TWA Flight 800
Trans World Airlines Flight 800 , a Boeing 747-131, exploded and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near East Moriches, New York, on July 17, 1996, at about 20:31 EDT, 12 minutes after takeoff, killing all 230 persons on board. At the time, it was the second-deadliest U.S...
which crashed in 1996, but swapping shifts the day before.
Affair with Gifford
At the end of April and beginning of May, 1997, Johnson spent a week with Gifford at the Regency Hotel, in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. Unknown to Gifford, the weekly tabloid The Globe
The Globe (tabloid)
Globe is a supermarket tabloid first published North America on November 10, 1954 in Montreal, Canada as Midnight by Joe Azaria and John Vader and became the chief competitor to the National Enquirer during the 1960s. In 1978 it changed its name to the Midnight Globe after its publisher, Globe...
had concealed video cameras and tape recording equipment in the room to document their affair, and published the story that May. The Globe reportedly paid Johnson for the story, with figures mentioned from $75,000 to $125,000.
Aftermath
In the November following the Gifford scandal, Johnson appeared on the cover of PlayboyPlayboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, and appeared in a nude pictorial inside that issue.
The extent to which the Globe went "to get the story" became a news issue in itself. In January 1999, the National Enquirer published a story about the Globe paying Johnson for the story about the affair, 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. Johnson said she signed an agreement with the tabloid in March 1997 in which Globe officials offered $25,000 for the Gifford story, and an additional $25,000 for a photo of them together.
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. The site closed in 2002.