Leeann Tweeden: ‘I Will’ Speak to Franken ‘Personally’

Leeann tweeden the news ░░░░░░░░ at KABC news radio ░░░░░░░░ here Thank you Good ░░░░░░░░ see you Good morning ░░░░░░░░ are you doing this ░░░░░░░░ I know you weren ░░░░░░░░ expecting this kind of ░░░░░░░░ You know I m ░░░░░░░░ I was up since ░░░░░░░░ 00 A M California ░░░░░░░░ yesterday and it was ░░░░░░░░ it was overwhelming You ░░░░░░░░ it was kind of ░░░░░░░░ media frenzy that I ░░░░░░░░ I wasn t ready ░░░░░░░░ and expecting I mean ░░░░░░░░ think I knew there ░░░░░░░░ be some media attention ░░░░░░░░ just wasn t prepared ░░░░░░░░ everything that was happening ░░░░░░░░ and then I got ░░░░░░░░ a plane and you ░░░░░░░░ here I am Literally ░░░░░░░░ the plane and from ░░░░░░░░ airport straight here so ░░░░░░░░ we appreciate it very ░░░░░░░░ Of course this happened ░░░░░░░░ 2006 but you had ░░░░░░░░ reason why Yeah You ░░░░░░░░ to share your story ░░░░░░░░ Yeah you know I ░░░░░░░░ I did want to ░░░░░░░░ it when I came ░░░░░░░░ then and you know ░░░░░░░░ was a different time ░░░░░░░░ my then boyfriend now ░░░░░░░░ and the father of ░░░░░░░░ two kids said they ░░░░░░░░ going to annihilate you ░░░░░░░░ re going to find ░░░░░░░░ skeleton in your closet ░░░░░░░░ were a model Your ░░░░░░░░ at the time I ░░░░░░░░ doing The best damn ░░░░░░░░ show with Michael Strahan ░░░░░░░░ Fox Sports and you ░░░░░░░░ going your career will ░░░░░░░░ ruined Don t do ░░░░░░░░ now Like you know ░░░░░░░░ s not worth the ░░░░░░░░ you know you re ░░░░░░░░ to be victimized Not ░░░░░░░░ is going to happen ░░░░░░░░ him so I stayed ░░░░░░░░ but I was angry ░░░░░░░░ with the whole Harvey ░░░░░░░░ stuff coming out you ░░░░░░░░ and all these other ░░░░░░░░ coming out and talking ░░░░░░░░ every day we d ░░░░░░░░ stories and you know ░░░░░░░░ m the news anchor ░░░░░░░░ a radio show in ░░░░░░░░ Angeles and we were ░░░░░░░░ to these women congresswoman ░░░░░░░░ Speier came on the ░░░░░░░░ and told her story ░░░░░░░░ she was a congressional ░░░░░░░░ in her 20s and ░░░░░░░░ her chief of staff ░░░░░░░░ her in an office ░░░░░░░░ took her head in ░░░░░░░░ hands and kissed her ░░░░░░░░ stuck his tongue in ░░░░░░░░ mouth and at that ░░░░░░░░ you know I just ░░░░░░░░ that happened to me ░░░░░░░░ was Al Franken and ░░░░░░░░ happened to me and ░░░░░░░░ said that was my ░░░░░░░░ I think if I ░░░░░░░░ t speak up now ░░░░░░░░ m going to forever ░░░░░░░░ that and keep it ░░░░░░░░ me forever That was ░░░░░░░░ moment to speak up ░░░░░░░░ I have two little ░░░░░░░░ and I said this ░░░░░░░░ my time to you ░░░░░░░░ worse has happened to ░░░░░░░░ people But maybe I ░░░░░░░░ a platform to speak ░░░░░░░░ because if he did ░░░░░░░░ to somebody else or ░░░░░░░░ anybody else has stayed ░░░░░░░░ or anybody else has ░░░░░░░░ the victim of any ░░░░░░░░ of abuse maybe they ░░░░░░░░ speak out and feel ░░░░░░░░ they this come forward ░░░░░░░░ reel realtime and not ░░░░░░░░ a kick cade or ░░░░░░░░ That was your motivation ░░░░░░░░ to destroy him Not ░░░░░░░░ all You have to ░░░░░░░░ a light somebody you ░░░░░░░░ these people need to ░░░░░░░░ called out A light ░░░░░░░░ to be shone to ░░░░░░░░ what s happening To ░░░░░░░░ a change to change ░░░░░░░░ culture When that awful ░░░░░░░░ photograph you on the ░░░░░░░░ not even knowing this ░░░░░░░░ was taken you didn ░░░░░░░░ know it until later ░░░░░░░░ the pictures were released ░░░░░░░░ you saw it and ░░░░░░░░ said not for one ░░░░░░░░ did you think it ░░░░░░░░ a joke that went ░░░░░░░░ That you felt that ░░░░░░░░ was trying to send ░░░░░░░░ a message What did ░░░░░░░░ mean by that Because ░░░░░░░░ everything that had happened ░░░░░░░░ you know I released ░░░░░░░░ statement because everything that ░░░░░░░░ in totality with the ░░░░░░░░ kiss when he stuck ░░░░░░░░ tongue in my mouth ░░░░░░░░ then that tour I ░░░░░░░░ to endure being with ░░░░░░░░ for almost two weeks ░░░░░░░░ know and there were ░░░░░░░░ jab there were comments ░░░░░░░░ mean I separated myself ░░░░░░░░ much as I could ░░░░░░░░ that tour from him ░░░░░░░░ was never alone with ░░░░░░░░ again But you know ░░░░░░░░ d be doing autograph ░░░░░░░░ and I d have ░░░░░░░░ sit next to him ░░░░░░░░ we were the co ░░░░░░░░ and I would literally ░░░░░░░░ with my back towards ░░░░░░░░ and sigh a picture ░░░░░░░░ mine be pulled away ░░░░░░░░ of the corner of ░░░░░░░░ eye and he would ░░░░░░░░ devil horns on me ░░░░░░░░ the devil tail and ░░░░░░░░ it back into my ░░░░░░░░ So you know these ░░░░░░░░ the petty things I ░░░░░░░░ dealing with so there ░░░░░░░░ little things here and ░░░░░░░░ so most people are ░░░░░░░░ hearing about the forced ░░░░░░░░ and then the picture ░░░░░░░░ the end but it ░░░░░░░░ you know it was ░░░░░░░░ humiliation through the two ░░░░░░░░ of the tour that ░░░░░░░░ don t hear about ░░░░░░░░ at the end when ░░░░░░░░ got that picture it ░░░░░░░░ like the final parting ░░░░░░░░ of ha ha she ░░░░░░░░ going to see this ░░░░░░░░ she gets home that ░░░░░░░░ couldn t you know ░░░░░░░░ him face to face ░░░░░░░░ confront him It was ░░░░░░░░ she s going to ░░░░░░░░ that and sort of ░░░░░░░░ was like his parting ░░░░░░░░ of the you know ░░░░░░░░ of in your face ░░░░░░░░ got you one last ░░░░░░░░ That s how I ░░░░░░░░ bit I was belittled ░░░░░░░░ humiliated Yeah and he ░░░░░░░░ acknowledged he can now ░░░░░░░░ can understand why but ░░░░░░░░ the time he didn ░░░░░░░░ That s never funny ░░░░░░░░ it s never funny ░░░░░░░░ funny He didn t ░░░░░░░░ until you went public ░░░░░░░░ had seen him since ░░░░░░░░ time Of course with ░░░░░░░░ husband and I was ░░░░░░░░ cold to him then ░░░░░░░░ he had a chance ░░░░░░░░ apologize and never did ░░░░░░░░ you accept his apology ░░░░░░░░ Yeah of the first ░░░░░░░░ sounded like a staffer ░░░░░░░░ was very quick yesterday ░░░░░░░░ when I first talked ░░░░░░░░ it And I was ░░░░░░░░ yeah okay two sentence ░░░░░░░░ I accepted that as ░░░░░░░░ because you know you ░░░░░░░░ of you know politicians ░░░░░░░░ have to get ahead ░░░░░░░░ the game right oh ░░░░░░░░ apologize that was inappropriate ░░░░░░░░ wasn t me All ░░░░░░░░ The second apology I ░░░░░░░░ when things started happening ░░░░░░░░ the media and people ░░░░░░░░ talking about it and ░░░░░░░░ second one was definitely ░░░░░░░░ felt and I do ░░░░░░░░ it I think he ░░░░░░░░ how people felt about ░░░░░░░░ Now it s a ░░░░░░░░ time 2006 is not ░░░░░░░░ Not at all with ░░░░░░░░ that s going on ░░░░░░░░ you feel even he ░░░░░░░░ he s going to ░░░░░░░░ and cooperate with the ░░░░░░░░ investigation But and some ░░░░░░░░ are saying should he ░░░░░░░░ Should he still be ░░░░░░░░ senator Where do you ░░░░░░░░ on that You know ░░░░░░░░ s not my call ░░░░░░░░ didn t do this ░░░░░░░░ have him step down ░░░░░░░░ think Al Franken does ░░░░░░░░ lot of good things ░░░░░░░░ the Senate You know ░░░░░░░░ think that s for ░░░░░░░░ people of Minnesota to ░░░░░░░░ I m not calling ░░░░░░░░ him to step down ░░░░░░░░ know that s that ░░░░░░░░ never my intention and ░░░░░░░░ think I think for ░░░░░░░░ to just know I ░░░░░░░░ wanted him to understand ░░░░░░░░ he did was wrong ░░░░░░░░ how he treated me ░░░░░░░░ how how abusers who ░░░░░░░░ think do that under ░░░░░░░░ guise that it s ░░░░░░░░ or that oh I ░░░░░░░░ get away with it ░░░░░░░░ I was a comedian ░░░░░░░░ it s funny that ░░░░░░░░ never funny but when ░░░░░░░░ shine a light and ░░░░░░░░ s the culture that ░░░░░░░░ the change we need ░░░░░░░░ make and go that ░░░░░░░░ never funny but people ░░░░░░░░ gotten away with that ░░░░░░░░ that s the change ░░░░░░░░ were hoping with all ░░░░░░░░ discussions and final question ░░░░░░░░ can t forget yesterday ░░░░░░░░ you concluded your interview ░░░░░░░░ you said all you ░░░░░░░░ to do was go ░░░░░░░░ and hug your little ░░░░░░░░ and your little boy ░░░░░░░░ be with your husband ░░░░░░░░ you were able to ░░░░░░░░ that They re too ░░░░░░░░ only 4 and 2 ░░░░░░░░ do you want them ░░░░░░░░ be able to understand ░░░░░░░░ they re older about ░░░░░░░░ You know my husband ░░░░░░░░ is so great And ░░░░░░░░ know I did a ░░░░░░░░ of interviews yesterday just ░░░░░░░░ the media and my ░░░░░░░░ first of all who ░░░░░░░░ love very much Chris ░░░░░░░░ love you he said ░░░░░░░░ m so proud to ░░░░░░░░ your husband and he ░░░░░░░░ I want to save ░░░░░░░░ of those videos and ░░░░░░░░ want to show the ░░░░░░░░ when they grow up ░░░░░░░░ mom because I want ░░░░░░░░ to know what you ░░░░░░░░ today because it s ░░░░░░░░ and I think you ░░░░░░░░ a part of a ░░░░░░░░ in a culture that ░░░░░░░░ going to make a ░░░░░░░░ for their generation and ░░░░░░░░ said and I love ░░░░░░░░ for that We so ░░░░░░░░ that Leeann All the ░░░░░░░░ to you I know ░░░░░░░░ want to get back ░░░░░░░░ your family Thank you ░░░░░░░░ being here.