Bare-breasted advocate "misunderstood"

by Robb Fulcher

Nearly a year after bringing international attention to Hermosa by going topless before the city council, actress and singer Jennie J. is working on a rap career, continuing to land small roles in movies, and may try again to sell some of ex-flame Dennis Rodman's former belongings.

Former topless activist Jennie J. takes it off for former Mayor Bob Benz in a statement heard literally around the world. A year later, Jennie looks back with little fondness. Photo by Robb Fulcher

But the 23-year-old performer has few pleasant memories of her public gesture last June in support of then-Mayor Bob Benz' quest for a topless Hermosa Beach.

"It was really weird how the whole thing was misunderstood. That was like, a political statement, which is why I talked so much about motherhood and the human body," she said in an interview on Friday.

"I had never done anything like that before. I'm not a dancer, I'm not a stripper, I'm not a nude model," she said. "I was so nervous I didn't sleep for like five days before and five days after. I left town after that, I went to New York to just chill for a couple of days."

Peeved at 'Penthouse'

Jennie, who was widely described in news reports last year as a model for "Penthouse" magazine, said she now regrets her association with the publication. She said Penthouse heard of her planned appearance before the council, hired her as a "spokesperson" and publicized the appearance.

"They hired a publicist for me, they walked me in there, I did all this publicity for them, all this media...The whole speech was cheapened by that 'Penthouse model' thing. I never should have made that deal with them," Jennie said.

At the time of her city council appearance she said she planned to appear nude in the magazine, but said this week that plans for a photo shoot, clothed or otherwise, fell through.

In addition, she charged, "Penthouse" did not hold up its end of the deal with her.

"They said they would compensate me for mentioning them, but I never got paid a dime, and eventually they stopped taking my calls," she said.

Jackie Markham, a publicist for the magazine in New York, said "Penthouse" publicized Jennie's appearance on its web site and helped drum up media attention, but had no deal to hire or pay her.

"She was never hired as a spokesperson," Markham said. "I would have known about it."

One of Jennie's media appearances in the aftermath of her night before the council came on Court TV, where she engaged in a verbal duel with Hermosa resident Shawn Moonan, who had a complaint with police, alleging that Jennie had violated the city's anti-nudity ordinance. She was never cited for any offense.

Filing her briefs

"I went to an attorney and I sued [Moonan] and his family and his church, because he said he was representing his church, and we battled back and forth, and eventually I just dropped it," Jennie said.

Turning to happier matters, Jennie continues to act in movies, including "Desperate But Not Serious," starring Henry Rollins and Claudia Schiffer, which was released on video this year.

"I've never even seen it," Jennie said. "After something is done it's done, and I move on."

She also will appear, if briefly, in "Goat On fire and Smiling Fish," a film named after two of its Indian characters.

She expects larger things from her career as a "white female rapper," a hip hop artist with pop crossover potential. She said she is preparing for a showcase to lure a major label.

"I've been doing hip hop since I was 12," she said. "I thought when Vanilla Ice came out it was my time, but little did I know. But hip hop is my dream, this is what I really want to do."

Since last year Jennie has relocated from Huntington Beach to a home at the Hawthorne-Manhattan Beach line, but she plans to move soon to Brentwood to pursue her recording career.

Oh, and she might sell some of ex-boyfriend and former NBA star Dennis Rodman's effects via the Internet, with the proceeds going to a charity. She already tried to sell a nose ring, a pocket watch and "one of those little transvestite vests he used to wear," but that Internet sale was poorly publicized and did not work out, she said.

'So gay'

Last year, Benz' crusade for topless bathing was covered by tabloid TV, the Reuters newswire, BBC television, CNN and numerous popular radio talk shows.

Jennie appeared before the Hermosa council last June 8, after a plug by Benz that morning on the Howard Stern radio show. Seven TV cameras lined a wall of the typically sleepy council chambers while an overflow crowd looked on.

Jennie called breasts "a celebration of motherhood," then unzipped the top of her white outfit and showed her breasts to the council.

"Boring, boring," chanted Councilman Sam Edgerton.

"You call these boring?" she countered.

Edgerton told Jennie she was "sad" and "pathetic," drawing applause from many of the spectators.

Turning away from the council, the model briefly bared her breasts to the audience before leaving the chambers. Outside, she criticized Edgerton for interrupting her.

"I didn't know he would be so gay," she said.

She told reporters that it was her idea to show her breasts, after hearing of Benz' crusade from friends. ER