CARLE PLACE, N.Y. -- Jessica Hahn will 'stun the country' with an expose in the November issue of Playboy magazine about fallen PTL founder Jim Bakker, then will hit the road on a nationwide promotional tour, her lawyer says.
Attorney Dominic Barbara said Wednesday that no agreement on pictures to accompany the story had been reached, but added, 'I can say with certainty Ms. Hahn will not be appearing in the centerfold.'
Besides her sexual encounter with Bakker, the 27-year-old woman, who was not at the news conference, 'is expected to reveal her knowledge of payoffs, financial dealings, the wars among religious evangelists and the story of her own past,' Barbara said.
He said Hahn, who has moved out of her apartment in the Long Island community of West Babylon and is hiding somewhere in New York protected by a bodyguard, will make no statements until the magazine hits the newsstands on Sept. 28.
At that time she will tour the nation, making radio and television appearances to promote the story, Barbara said.
'Whatever one thinks of Jessica Hahn through past and present press reports, the person and story that will emerge are going to stun the country,' he said.
Barbara refused to say how much Playboy will pay Hahn.
The disclosure of a onetime sexual tryst between Hahn and Bakker seven years ago in a Florida motel room led to his resignation as head of the financially troubled PTL television ministry in March.
Barbara announced that Hahn also plans to sue Bakker, his wife, Tammy Faye, and PTL for damages.
'Jim Bakker should meet with Jessica Hahn and beg for her forgiveness,' he said, adding that some of the damages would be sought for allegedly derogatory remarks made by Tammy Faye Bakker about Hahn.
Asked whether the appearance of the story in Playboy would harm Hahn's image as a religious woman, Barbara said, 'She has a great deal of love of God, but she felt that Playboy could best report her story. The facts of this misunderstood story are tough and uncompromising, and it is a major reason why we went with Playboy.
'Trust me, the Jessica Hahn that will emerge from this story will be someone quite different from the person you expect,' he said.
Barbara said Hahn had recently spent nine days in Chicago telling her story to the two men who will write it for the magazine.
The attorney said he also is negotiating book, television and movie rights to Hahn's story and said there is a possibility of a TV miniseries.
'But Ms. Hahn definitely will not portray herself,' he added.
